


Struggling Against Me

by nicky_writes



Series: Struggling Against Me [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: (Darth Valor is my Sith name for Obi), Clone Wars era, Eventual Obi-Wan/Reader, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Kidnapping, Sith!Obi-Wan Kenobi - Freeform, jedi!reader, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-08-22 06:14:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 54,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8275655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicky_writes/pseuds/nicky_writes
Summary: The reader is a dedicated Jedi, following the Code strictly and fighting valiantly as a general during the Clone Wars. That is, until she meets the mysterious Darth Valor, who she later finds to be the former padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. After their first meeting on the battlefield, the Sith becomes fixated on her, sending them both into a tumultuous, complex relationship neither of them is ready for.





	1. Chapter One

The battle was raging harder and faster than the beat of your heart, and you felt yet another drop of sweat glide down the back of your neck as you swung your saber for the millionth time that day, blocking the millionth shot sent your way from an enemy droid. Hours had to have passed by now, and yet no backup was in sight as the army got closer and closer. Being the only Jedi assigned to this mission, you were still on the front lines despite the weariness of your bones and the shaking in your arms every time you lifted them to use your weapon. Your troops thought you to be invincible, but the simple truth was that you were tired, and you knew you couldn’t go on much longer. 

“General Skywalker,” you shouted into your comm once again. “Please tell me you’re close!” 

“No worries, General,” was his cocky reply. “We hit a minor problem on the way over, but we’ve broken through the blockade and should be landing with more troops within the hour.”

You felt yourself let out a small sigh of relief as you ducked behind a boulder, allowing yourself a few moments of precious rest. 

“You’re cutting it close, kid,” you smirked tiredly to the hologram of your friend. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Now why would I do a thing like that, sis?” Anakin chuckled as he flew the cargo ship. “If you weren’t around, who would I pester?”

“Ahsoka?” 

“Oh, no,” you heard her sigh from somewhere in the background. “I can’t handle this guy on my own; someone else has to be around for him to annoy.”

“Is that any way to talk to your master?” Skywalker laughed. You were about to reply, but you heard a massive explosion sound from somewhere to your right, and you winced as dust and debris showered over you. 

“I’ll see you soon,” you sighed, turning your communicator off and slipping it into your pocket. You hoped that the man who you saw as a brother would get there in time; your men were just as exhausted as you were, and you’d already lost so many of them. 

With a resigned sigh, you darted out of your hiding place and back into the fighting, hacking through droid after droid as you fought to gain more ground against the Separatists. 

All of a sudden, though, you felt something unusual through the force. It was as if there was a...hole in it, somehow. As if there was a single spot in the world where the force’s presence didn’t exist. Furrowing your brows, you paused for a moment to reach out towards it with your senses, perplexed and confused; you’d never felt anything like this before. As your eyes scanned the battlefield around you, though, you quickly identified the abnormality’s source, and your heart seized in a small spasm of fear and dread. 

Walking towards you with a smirk etched into his features was a man dressed in long, black robes that swayed with every confident step he took. Yellow eyes peered out of his handsome face, trained directly on yours as he got ever closer. You instinctively raised your weapon, the green blade crackling as the threatening man grinned wider, reaching to his belt to draw out his own lightsaber. Its red blade sung with the stories of the lives it had taken, and you gulped as he neared you, shaking his cloak off his shoulders to expose his tall, slender form. 

“Master (Y/L/N),” he sneered, circling you slowly. The battle was still raging around you, but it was as if you two were enclosed in your own world, stepping around each other in a steady orbit, waiting for the other to make a move. 

“Sith,” you growled. “How do you know my name?”

“Oh,” he sighed, “I’ve heard many tales of the young, powerful Jedi you’ve become. My, I remember when you were still just a padawan, kicking at Windu’s heels like some kind of puppy. I had a feeling you’d grow up to be a beautiful lady someday.”

Your eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and you shook your head. 

“We’ve...never met before,” you said, but the Sith just tilted his head to the side, eyes raking over your face. 

“You’re wrong,” he stated. Before you could respond, he lunged forward, bringing his weapon down on yours with a swift, strong jab that rattled your arms when it hit against your saber. Biting your lip, you returned the blow, furiously swiping at the man as he backed you up, steering you towards a cave along the wall of the valley your armies were fighting in. Knowing that this would block you in, you valiantly fought against the way he was steering you, turning around and backing back towards the area of combat. 

He wasn’t having it, though, and you felt yourself being lifted off the ground with the force. Gasping, you squirmed in his hold, eyes darting down to him in panic. You’d never encountered anyone that could do that before; it required a huge amount of strength to be able to hold someone up with the force, much less when that person was force sensitive and in the middle of fighting you. As the Sith hurled you against the wall of the valley, you couldn’t help but fear the sheer amount of power he must possess. 

A pained moan escaped your lips as you were hurled against the stone, knocking the air out of your lungs and leaving you gasping as you fell down to the ground. You scrambled to regain your footing, lifting your saber just in time to block the Sith’s weapon as he swung it down towards you, sweat dotting his brow from the effort of having used the force in such a way. You couldn’t help but smirk upon seeing this, finding it satisfying to know that fighting you wasn’t as easy as he was making it out to be. Swiftly regaining your footing, you jabbed your saber towards him, and he couldn’t block it in time to prevent you from grazing his upper arm. He let out a shout of pain, and you grinned, reeling back to land another blow. 

However, things quickly took a turn for the worse when he swung his weapon, managing to land a deep cut to your outer thigh. Gasping, you stumbled back, only to have him pick you up with the force once more and shove you into the cave, grabbing your wrists in his hands and pressing you against one of the cool cave walls. You looked down at him, eyes wide, knowing that it was the end; he had you pinned, with no hope of escape. 

However, instead of running you through with his lightsaber, the man deactivated his weapon, clipping it onto his belt before smirking up at you. 

“Well,” he chuckled. “What an interesting position you’ve found yourself in.” You squirmed in his grip, but he wouldn’t budge, trapping you with his body and the force effectively. 

“My dear,” he grinned, eyes surveying your body once more, “The way I see it, your life, in this moment, is mine to do with as I please. I have absolute control over whether you live and whether you die. I say this, not to gloat, but to emphasize that, if you don’t do whatever I say, I can and will end you.” 

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to your ear and spoke against your skin, causing you to shiver. 

“Out of the kindness of my heart,” he purred, “I’m willing to make a trade with you. I will let you go, safe and sound, if you kiss me.”

Shocked, you snapped your head as far away from his as you could get it in your current position, blush returning to your cheeks in full force. 

“Wh-what?!” you demanded, eyes wide. 

“I don’t believe I stuttered,” he laughed, tightening his grip on your wrists further. “I will allow you to live if you give me just one kiss.” Removing one of his hands from your wrist, using the force to compensate for his touch and keep you in place, he tapped his lips with one finger, grinning. “Right here.” 

“You’re crazy,” you mumbled, shaking your head. “What do you have to gain from letting me go?”

“A kiss,” he responded, “from a pretty woman. And, after all, you said it yourself. I’m crazy. Who knows what my motives are?”

You shook your head, trying to clear it as you processed the situation you’d gotten yourself into. Something deep in your gut told you that the Sith before you was as sane as they come; there was something cold and calculating about him, and you knew for sure that you would be playing right into his hands if you gave in. But what other choice did you have? Flat-out refusing him would result in your death - you had no doubt that he wasn’t bluffing when he’d said he would murder you. 

Left with no choice, you sighed and leaned forward, lips moving towards his. However, he pulled back at just the last second, looking down at you with that insufferable smile. 

“Ask me,” he commanded. “Use my name and ask if you can kiss me.”

Skin flushing in humiliation, you growled at him.

“I don’t know your name.” 

“Valor,” he whispered in response, bringing his hand up to cup your cheek. “My name is Darth Valor.”

“Please, Darth Valor,” you bit out from behind clenched teeth. “Please let me kiss you.” 

Laughing, he leaned forward and murmured against your lips. 

“If you insist.”

With that, he crushed his mouth onto yours in a dizzying kiss, pushing his tongue past your lips and licking into your mouth with a quiet groan. Setting his hands on your hips, he smiled against you, and you could feel his beard scratch your cheek as his lips moved against yours. 

Now, if anyone asked you, you would say that you hated every second of it. You would say that, as a Jedi, you’d been trained to view all Sith as disgusting and irredeemable creatures of darkness that were not to be trifled with. But, for the smallest, quickest of seconds, you found yourself forgetting that Valor was a Sith lord. You let your mind let go of the distant sounds of the battle raging outside of the cave and the dull, painful pounding of your leg as you relaxed against the stone behind you, pressing your lips back against his softly, tentatively.

Sucking in a deep breath, Valor eventually pulled away, licking his lips before offering you a wicked smirk. 

“Interesting,” he sighed, taking a step back. Your body felt cold at the loss of his touch, and you forced yourself not to lean towards him. “Very interesting.”

Suddenly, a loud cheer rang out from the valley, and you looked up in time to see a massive cargo ship landing closeby, its doors opening to reveal a crowd of troopers running out into the fray; the reinforcements had come. 

Teetering on your good leg, you let a small smile come to your lips when you saw the blue and green of Anakin and Ahsoka’s lightsabers cutting through the droids. Your smile was quickly replaced by a frown, though, when you felt Valor whisper into your ear once more. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon, sweet one,” he cooed. You whipped your head around to face him, but you felt a heavy cloud descend over your mind, blanketing your consciousness. You struggled against it, fighting the darkness that came over your vision and made your ears ring, but eventually you felt yourself collapse, sending you into a soft pair of arms that caught you before gently lowering you to the cave floor. 

“I’ll see you very soon. I promise.”

And with that, you slipped into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

You woke up with a groan, a pounding headache, and a dull throb emanating from your leg. Wincing, you opened your eyes to see a bright, white light above you, and you instantly shut them again. 

“Hey, look who’s coming back to the land of the living.” 

Moaning, you turned towards the familiar voice, slowly looking up to see your friend standing over your bed, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Hiya, sis,” Anakin smiled. Ahsoka perked up from where she’d been sitting by your bed, and you managed a small smile for the two of them. 

“Hey,” you murmured, surprised at the hoarse sound of your voice. “Where am I?”

“The command ship,” Ahsoka answered. “We’re heading back to Coruscant. You’ve been out for a few hours.”

You nodded, struggling to sit up. Anakin rushed to help you, placing a hand on your back and guiding you to lean against some pillows on your bed, and you shot him a grateful glance before turning your attention to your wound. Lifting the sheet, you pulled your hospital gown up a few inches to get a good look at it. A large bacta pad covered most of your thigh, giving you an idea about how big the cut had been. 

“You’re lucky you didn’t get it cut off,” Anakin sighed, sitting down on the edge of your mattress. 

“Yeah…” you murmured, tugging your gown back into place and pulling the sheet back up. 

“Who did that, anyways?” Ahsoka questioned, leaning forward. “The troops said that they saw someone with a red lightsaber. Was it really-”

“A Sith?” you interrupted. “Yeah. Yeah, he was… He was a Sith.” Your cheeks lit up bright red at the memory of the man, and you mentally berated yourself for allowing him to kiss you. And, even worse, for enjoying it. You chalked it up to the foggy state your brain had been in from the blood loss of your wound, and you quickly shook the memory off. 

“Was it Dooku?” the padawan pressed further. 

“No… It was a Sith I’ve never heard of before,” you responded, glancing between your friends. “He called himself Valor. Darth Valor.” 

You immediately noticed a change in Anakin’s face; his eyebrows drew together, and his lips pursed into a thin line. He stood up quickly, looking down at you.

“What did he look like?” he asked urgently. 

“Um… Well,” you stuttered, surprised at the sudden shift in his demeanor, “He was a little shorter than you, but not by much. And he had reddish-blonde hair, and-”

“A beard?” Anakin guessed, and you nodded. 

“Yeah,” you said slowly. “You know him?”

Running a hand through his hair, he nodded, a pained expression on his face. 

“I used to, yes,” he confessed. Starting to pace across the floor, he started to explain. 

“(Y/N), Ahsoka,” he started. “What I’m about to tell you is for your ears only, alright?” 

You both nodded, watching Anakin carefully as he drew in a deep breath. 

“(Y/N), do you remember Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

You bit your lip, searching your memory for a face to match that name. It sounded familiar, but you couldn’t quite place who it belonged to, and Anakin spoke up again after a few moments of silence. 

“He was Qui-Gon’s apprentice before me,” he supplied, and your eyebrows shot up when you finally pieced together who he was talking about. 

You did remember Obi-Wan Kenobi vaguely; you two had been padawans at around the same time, him being only a few years older than you. The two of you had never been close; you could only recall talking to him a handful of times, and even then your encounters had been brief, but realization slowly dawned on you as you recalled what he’d looked like. 

“But…” you said, “Obi-Wan died in a mission shortly after becoming a knight. How could he…?”

Anakin shook his head as you trailed off. 

“He never died,” he said quietly. “The council thought he was dead for a long time, but eventually Master Fisto spotted him on Naboo with yellow eyes and a red saber and put two and two together. They only told Qui-Gon and me about it, since we were the ones that were closest to him.”

“But shouldn’t we know there’s another Sith running around, one that used to be one of us?” Ahsoka pressed further, but Anakin just shook his head. 

“I don’t really understand their decision, myself. But the council has its reasons for keeping it a secret,” Anakin replied, but something in his tone suggested that he didn’t truly agree with himself. “Besides. Obi-Wan Kenobi is long gone by now if what (Y/N) says is true. It sounds like “Darth Valor” is all that’s left of the man who he once was.” 

You sat back, pondering over what Ani had just said. So Valor hadn’t been lying when he said that he’d met you before. 

“How come we’ve never heard of Valor, then? Whether or not the council chooses to tell us about his backstory,” you reasoned, “we should’ve heard about another Sith running around.”

“This is the first time he’s been spotted since Master Fisto saw him,” Anakin responded. “Believe me; Qui-Gon has driven himself crazy looking for clues about where he is and what he’s done. He thinks that, for the most part, Valor’s been keeping to the shadows, only doing undercover missions for whoever his master is. This would be the first time he’s fought a Jedi directly.”

You nodded, laying back down as the pain medicine you’d been given started to kick in. 

“Well, in any case,” you sighed, “It sounds like I have a long meeting with the council in store for me.”

Smirking, Ahsoka rolled her eyes. 

“Have fun with that,” she muttered dryly, eliciting a smile from both you and Anakin. 

“Is there anything I can pay you two to take my place?” you pleaded jokingly. 

“Sorry, sis,” Anakin replied, setting a hand on your shoulder. “But there aren’t enough credits in the galaxy to get you out of this meeting.”  
__________  
You sighed as you walked out of the council room, feeling completely drained. You’d been in there for no less than two hours, being grilled on your encounter. They’d wanted to know everything you could tell them about Valor: what he’d looked like, what fighting style he’d used. Hell, you were surprised that they hadn’t asked you what brand of shoes he’d been wearing.

You’d struggled to tell them everything you could, but you kept the part about the kiss to yourself. Other than the fact that it was just embarrassing, you knew that, if you told them, they’d be hesitant to send you on more missions, most likely assigning you to stay at the temple and meditate instead of letting you go out into the field. The battles got tiring after a while, sure, but you felt stir-crazy when you were stuck there in the place you’d grown up in; and, to be honest, you’d never really enjoyed meditating for extended periods of time. 

Now, as you waited for your next assignment, you limped towards the exit of the temple, desperate for some fresh air and quiet. After making your slow way to your speeder, you hobbled in and set the autopilot for Skydome Botanical Gardens, one of the few places that you knew you could relax in. Leaning back in your seat, you sighed through your nose as you watched the traffic of Coruscant speed by, setting all thoughts of yellow eyes and soft lips out of your mind as you let your eyes close. After several minutes of flying, you finally reached your destination, and you already felt a heavy weight lift from your shoulders when you stepped out of your ship. 

The sweet scent of flowers drifted to your nostrils as you walked into the building, the sight of exotic fauna greeting you as sunlight filtered in through the glass ceiling. You took in a deep breath, sauntering down the familiar walkways until you reached your favorite bench. Wrapping your robes tighter around you, you took a seat, tilting your head back to let the sun warm your face. 

Suddenly, though, you were startled out of your peaceful state when you felt something hauntingly familiar through the force. A profound sense of dread overtook you as you sensed an eerily familiar presence getting closer, and you knew who it belonged to even before they came walking around the corner. You were still shocked when you saw those golden eyes, though, and you jolted up out of your seat as the man flashed you his wicked smile. 

“Hello, sweet one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what y'all think! I hope you're enjoying it so far.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the short chapter, guys! Don't worry, though. The next one will be long and action-y. 'Till then, enjoy!

You immediately reached for your lightsaber, holding it tightly between both of your hands as the Sith stepped closer. 

“Stay away from me,” you growled, glaring at the man in front of you. 

“Now, now, there’s no need for that,” he chuckled. With a sigh, he sat down in the seat you’d just been occupying, and you drew your eyebrows together in confusion. 

“Aren’t...you going to fight me?” you asked lamely, eliciting another laugh from Kenobi. 

“I don’t intend to, no,” he drawled, looking between you and your deactivated weapon. “How are you healing up from our last encounter, dear?”

Shaking your head, you jumped when you heard a voice behind you, and you glanced around to see a group of children being herded by their teacher, apparently on a field trip to the gardens. Quickly putting your saber away, you returned your attention back to Kenobi. 

“Ah. Deciding not to go swinging a sword around while younglings are present. How prudent of you,” he observed, crossing his legs. 

“What do you want?” you bit out from behind clenched teeth. 

“I’m not quite sure yet,” he replied. “But I know it involves you, my dear.” Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on his knees, studying you with a dark expression. 

“You hold immense potential, you know,” he murmured. “More than those Jedi know. You could be so much more…” 

“Leave me the fuck alone,” you growled, starting to walk away. You heard Kenobi get up behind you, and you sucked in a breath when you felt his hand wrap around your wrist, pulling you back. 

“You can’t honestly say you haven’t felt it,” he growled. You felt your back press against his chest, and you shivered as his voice reverberated against you. “You can’t tell me you don’t sense a connection between us. Need I remind you that you kissed me back, darling?”

Jerking away, you whipped around and scowled up at him. 

“Need I remind you that I was suffering from blood loss from the cut you gave me?” you snapped. “Or that my only other option was to be killed by you?”

“Come now,” he purred. “I think we both know that I wasn’t truly going to-”

“I don’t know a thing about you!” you exclaimed. “All I know is that you’re an infuriating Sith who has delusions of having a “connection” with me. I want nothing to do with you.”

The confident smirk faded from Kenobi’s face, and he stepped back slowly. 

“I see,” he frowned. The group of younglings began walking down the same path as you two, and he looked around suddenly, as if he was just then remembering where he was. Keeping quiet, he waited for the children to walk past before speaking again. 

“In any case, Master (Y/L/N),” he sighed, “I did not come here to argue my point with you. Or to see that lovely face of yours, as much as I’ve enjoyed it. I came to warn you.” 

“To warn me?” you repeated incredulously. “Warn me of what?”

“The Separatists are planning an attack on the Jedi temple,” he said nonchalantly, stroking through his beard as he did so. “I thought you might like to know.”

Processing what he’d just said, you chuckled humorlessly and shook your head. 

“Why should I believe you? And if that’s true, then why are you telling me?” you questioned. 

“Just because I’m a Sith,” he responded, “I’m not automatically allied with the Separatists. I fight for them when it suits my interests, but I don’t stand in total agreement with them.”

“But you are enemies with the Jedi,” you insisted. “Why would you warn me for their benefit?”

“I’m not doing it for them,” he smirked. “I’m doing it to gain your trust.”

Rolling your eyes, you crossed your arms. 

“I will never trust you, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” you vowed.

The man before you huffed at your use of his birth name, but he still smiled at you, raising one eyebrow as he took a few steps away from you. 

“We shall see,” he replied cryptically. Winking at you, he turned and started to saunter away, long robes swishing around his legs as he left you to your thinking.   
_________  
“He’s obviously trying to lead us astray,” Master Windu declared, leaning back in his chair. You stood in the middle of the council room, having just reported the news Kenobi had told you. “Why would he warn us about something like that?”

You were about to tell him the reason that the Sith had given, but you bit your tongue, too embarrassed to admit he’d said it was for you. Master Yoda sensed trepidation within you, however, and he leaned forward in his small seat, face twisted into an expression of concentration. 

“Came to Master (Y/L/N), he did,” the old master pondered, scratching his chin. “And so soon after fighting her. Gone out of his way to tell you, he has.”

“I… I don’t know what you’re saying, Master,” you stuttered, flushing once more. 

“I think he and I share a similar thought,” Master Windu said. “For some reason, Kenobi seems to be...interested in you.” 

“I haven’t done anything to-”

“We know,” your old master interrupted, holding up a hand. “We know. You’re a fine knight, (Y/N). But Sith lords can’t be reasoned with, and Darth Valor seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“Well...What should I do about that?” you questioned. 

“Draw him out, she could,” Yoda thought. “Perhaps another mission, she should be sent on.”

“That would give us a chance to apprehend Kenobi and bring him in,” Windu considered. 

“Masters,” you interrupted anxiously. You hated when they did this - talk about you as if you weren’t there and couldn’t hear them deciding your fate. And, frankly, you didn’t like them thinking about using you as bait for a Sith lord, especially one that was already intrigued by you. “Shouldn’t we focus on what he said about the attack?”

“(Y/N),” Windu said with a condescending smile. “You’re worrying about nothing. He probably just said that to distract-”

His words were cut off by a loud and resounding boom echoing through the walls, and you staggered as the ground shook beneath you. From somewhere inside the temple, a loud alarm started sounding, and you spun around when the council room’s doors were thrown open. 

You watched as Ahsoka came jogging in, fearful expression on her face as she looked rapidly between you and the rest of the Jedi in the room. 

“It’s the Separatists!” she exclaimed. “A whole squadron of droids are breaking in as we speak!” 

Your jaw fell open, but you weren’t particularly surprised. Turning back to your former teacher, you raised an eyebrow as if to say I told you so. 

“Shut up,” he growled, rushing past you. Huffing, you drew your weapon and ignited it, taking off after him to meet the advancing troops.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoy! Qui-Gon makes an appearance (finally) in this one! Let me know what you think!

You ran towards the sound of gunfire, lightsaber activated and at the ready. You could hear Ahsoka’s panting breaths on one side of you and the flapping of Windu’s long cloak on the other as the three of you raced towards the Archives, where the most fighting seemed to be occurring. Entering the vast room, you took only a moment to survey the scene before you. 

Droids were overrunning the place, pouring in through the ventilation system and walking through the halls that made up the only home you’d ever known. There was something surreal about seeing your enemies in a place you’d once considered to be safe. Your mind was reeling as you watched your friends and fellow Jedi defend the temple from within, and you quickly made your way over to the circulation desk upon seeing Qui-Gon Jinn fighting nearby it.

“Master (Y/L/N)!” he greeted, managing to look calm even in the midst of battle. “Good to see you.” 

“Always a pleasure, Qui-Gon,” you smiled, sending the older man a brief smile. 

You weren’t terribly close to Master Jinn, but the two of you were definitely friends. After the Battle of Naboo had been won, Anakin had been taken to the temple to train under him as a padawan. You’d been close to finishing your own training, and Anakin had come to you for help many times with saber practice. After while, you two had become very close, like brother and sister, and thus you and Qui-Gon had bonded. 

He was a gentle soul, and it was hard to think that someone like Kenobi had been trained by a man like him, that a Sith could come from such a strong Jedi. Now, as you were fighting, you sent him several glances, wondering what he thought of Obi-Wan’s sudden reappearance as Darth Valor. 

Slicing down droids with every swing of your saber, you called out to him. 

“Where are they coming from?” you shouted over the noise. 

“They came on a ship,” Qui-Gon called out. “And they spread throughout the building in the vents. This is the last wave, though; they came with limited troops.” 

You nodded, returning your focus to the fighting. So Obi-Wan had been honest with you about the attack. But it seemed like the Separatists had been totally unsuccessful; almost just as soon as the fight had started, the droids were down to their last leg, no match against an entire temple full of Jedi. What was the point of sending a small convoy of droids on a mission doomed to fail? What was there to gain? 

As you turned the facts over in your head, a strong sense of panic started to overwhelm you. What if the attack wasn’t an attack at all; what if it was a distraction designed by Kenobi?

With a lurching feeling in your stomach, you reached out with the force, seeking out the force signature you’d come to dread, and you felt the air whoosh out of your lungs when you sensed it. It was far away, somewhere on the upper levels or even on the roof, but it was there; Kenobi was there. 

“Qui-Gon!” you shouted. “We need to get to the roof! NOW!” 

“The roof?” he repeated, sending you a doubtful look. “Why, might I ask?”

“Kenobi is here,” you replied, and that was all it took for him to stop his fighting and turn to you. For the first time since you’d known him, he looked like anything but the calm, cool, and collected individual he always seemed to be; he looked afraid. Nodding his head, he followed as you took off sprinting, keeping your mind set on finding the Sith. 

“How do you know?” he asked as you two run, taking out the occasional droid that was still standing and roaming the halls. “How do you know about Obi-Wan?”

“I ran into him about a week ago,” you breathed, making a beeline for the stairs. “He was fighting with the Separatists on my last mission. We, uh… We ran into each other.”

“You saw him?” Qui-Gon murmured. “He didn’t kill you?” It broke your heart to hear the hope in his voice, the small, flickering part of him that still held out hope that his padawan wasn’t totally lost to Darth Valor, and you sent him a sympathetic look. 

“Qui-Gon… I think he’s the one responsible for this attack.”

“What?”

“He warned me about it earlier today. I think he did it so I’d tell the council,” you mused, jumping up the stairs quickly. “I think he wanted them all to be gathered in one place to listen to me so he could get in easier.”

“But why?” your friend asked under his breath. “Why would he come back here?”

You remained silent, not having a clue as to what the answer was. Pushing yourself to run faster, you felt Obi-Wan’s presence getting closer as you made your way out onto the roof. 

Eventually, the two of you made it to a large set of doors, which you threw open to step out into the sunshine of Coruscant. Squinting against the light, you made out the familiar silhouette of Darth Valor as he sauntered towards the other edge of the roof, auburn hair ruffling in the breeze left behind by passing ships. The sound of sirens filled the air, and you could see a ship full of troops heading towards the temple. 

“Obi-Wan!” Qui-Gon called out, stopping the other man in his tracks. Slowly, Kenobi turned around, fixing his yellow eyes on you and then on his old master. You couldn’t quite place the expression on his face, but a small, sad smile was perched on his lips, and some unnamed emotion glistened in his gaze. 

“Hello, old friend,” he called from across the rooftop. Gradually, you and Master Jinn approached him, and the other man made no move to walk away from you two. 

“It was a trap, wasn’t it?” you questioned. “Telling me about the attack; you knew I’d go to the council.”

“I’m sorry, sweet one,” he said, holding out his hands. His face appeared to be sympathetic, but your trust in him had been more than broken at this point. You didn’t believe for a second that he was remorseful. 

“Obi-Wan, why have you done this?” Qui-Gon murmured, and the Sith’s face twisted even more so into an expression of regret. “Why have you turned your back on us in such a way?”

“This isn’t personal, Qui-Gon,” Valor sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I needed something from here, and so I came. I’m sorry you got caught in the crossfire.” 

“What did I do wrong?” Master Jinn pressed, stepping forward. “What did I do to turn you away?”

With a smile, Obi-Wan shook his head and looked up at the sky, searching for the right words. 

“It wasn’t you. You were the best master I could have had,” he said slowly, turning his golden eyes back to his former master. “This was my choice. And my choice alone.” He offered you both a small smile before looking pointedly down at your lightsabers. “Now. I don’t believe that you two are going to let me go, are you?” 

“No,” you replied, glaring at him. “Not gonna happen.” 

“We can’t allow you to do that, my former padawan,” Qui-Gon sighed, holding his lightsaber up. 

“Alright, then,” Kenobi mumbled, tossing his long cloak off over his shoulders and calling his saber to his hand. Igniting it, he looked between the two of you doubtfully and took in a deep breath. “It would just be my luck that the only two Jedi in the universe I actually don’t want dead are the ones in my way.” Chuckling to himself, he drew his body into a fighting stance and grinned savagely. 

“Shall we?”

With that, you and Master Jinn surged forward, slashing your lightsabers through the air towards the Sith. Dodging and weaving between them, he spun his saber almost too fast for you to follow with your eyes, blocking both of you and doing a flying leap over your heads. Landing on the other side of you both, his red blade went singing rapidly through the air. Internally, you faced yet another moment similar to when he’d lifted you up with the force during your first meeting; his power was terrifying, and you hated to think of just how strong he really was. 

Blocking your and Qui-Gon’s attacks, he started going on the offensive despite being outnumbered, sending several swings your way until it was hard for you to keep up with them despite the help of your friend. Master Jinn was struggling as well, if the slightly panicked look on his face was an indicator of any kind. 

Taking a step back, you gasped when you realized you were on the edge of the temple’s roof, teetering precariously at the edge. Realizing this, Kenobi reached a hand out with a horrified look in his eye, frantically pulling you back towards him with the force. The air was knocked out of your lungs as you went sailing forwards, rolling over the cement of the roof and landing painfully on your side. Your head smacked against the pavement as you came to a stop, and you let out a muted cry of pain. 

You closed your eyes, trying to drown out the ringing in your ears. You told yourself that you needed to get up, that Qui-Gon needed you, but your limbs felt like they were moving through gelatin as you struggled to sit up. Even your vision was blurry as you watched the scene in front of you unfold. 

Both Kenobi and Master Jinn were battling fiercely, but it was clear that the Sith had the upper hand. His attacks only seemed to get stronger as time passed, and you let out a groggy cry when Qui-Gon’s lightsaber was kicked away out of his grasp. Falling to his knees, his expression held only sadness as he looked up at Obi-Wan. 

Obi-Wan, on the other hand, felt a thousand emotions at once, and it showed on his face. A sadness that mirrored his former master’s, regret, anger, pride, and trepidation raced across his features as he held the end of his blade to Qui-Gon’s chin. 

You struggled to get up, to help the man who’d been your friend for so long, but you still felt as if a ton of durasteel rested on your shoulders. Still, you managed to shakily get to your feet, and you limped towards the two men slowly, pain shooting through your previously-injured leg with each step. 

“I’ve failed you,” Qui-Gon murmured softly, looking up into yellow eyes. “And I am sorry.” 

Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan shook his head and stilled for a moment, as if he was meditating. All hesitation and emotion drained out of his face, and you watched as he slowly opened his eyes. Within them ay only a fierce determination, and you tried to move forward faster as you realized what was about to happen. 

“No, Qui-Gon,” he finally whispered, leaning down to whisper into the Jedi’s ear. “I’m the one that’s sorry. Forgive me.” 

And with that, his red blade pierced through Qui-Gon’s shoulder, the hum of the weapon almost louder than your surprised yelp. Looking up quickly, the Sith pulled his weapon away from his master and straightened up, turning his full attention to you. Weakly, you tried to call your saber to your hand with the force, but your head was still spinning from your fall. You watched as Darth Valor took four long strides over to you, grabbing your wrist and leaning down to stare into your eyes. 

“Sleep, sweet one,” he whispered, and you groaned when you felt the familiar feeling of him using the force to send you into unconsciousness. 

“No,” you said quietly, trying to beat against his chest. “No! Please!” 

Squeezing his eyes shut, as if in pain, he picked you up and started walking towards a ship that was slowing down just at the edge of the rooftop. As you got closer and closer to passing out, you glared up at the Sith and growled under your breath. 

“You’re disgusting,” you bit out. “You killed the man who’s done nothing but love you as a son for-”

“I know,” he sighed, combing his fingers through your hair. You tried to turn your head away, but everything started to feel heavy, and the blackness lurking in the back of your head was becoming more and more tempting to fall into.

“I hate you,” you whispered. You didn’t hear his response before drifting off, eyes finally closing as you surrendered to your forced slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Did Nicole die or something??? I'm so sorry for how long this update took, you guys! But I hope this lil chapter makes up for the wait. As always, leave me a comment telling me what you think!

When you finally found consciousness, the only thing your confused mind could focus on was the feeling of being warm. It was as if you were bathed in golden sunlight, making your lips curl up in contentment as you floated through the haze of waking up. Letting out a small grunt, you tried to stretch your limbs out, but only your legs were able to move. Frowning, you realized that there was something holding your wrists in place somewhere above your head, and that was when your addled senses started to catch up with you. Vaguely, you remembered the last few moments before you’d been forced into slumber, and your eyes shot open at the memory of Qui-Gon’s body going limp as a red saber ran him through. 

The first thing you saw was a ceiling, and at the sight of it, you realized that something was wrong, that you weren’t in the temple. Jagged rock lay above you, and, tilting your chin down, you saw that that stone continued on to the walls. Here and there, there were veins of living rock within them, traces of the minerals and potential gems that had formed inside the earth; so, you concluded, it was a cave that you were currently in. But, rather than being moist or cold, it looked as if someone had tried to civilize the place. 

Thick rugs lay over the majority of the floor, and there was furniture dotted about made out of the finest oak and mahogany. Even the bed you were currently in was impressive, covered in furs and silks that reeked of refinement. However, you found it difficult to be impressed with your host when you found shackles holding your arms to the headboard. Panicking, you realized that you could not call to the force to remove them, and you lay back with a huff; there was nothing you could do against force-restricting cuffs. 

Looking around, you tried to sort your situation out in your head. The last thing you could remember was Kenobi carrying you to his ship. Cursing to yourself, you realized that he must have brought you here, wherever “here” was. You dreaded what he had in store for you, and you felt yourself struggle harder against your restraints, even though you knew it would do you no good. 

“Ah! Good morning,” a voice called out from somewhere to your right, and you twisted your head in an effort to find its source. 

Obi-Wan had a small, almost warm smile on his face as he strode into the room, balancing a tray in his hands as he walked closer to the bed. Setting it down on the nightstand, he pulled a chair up to your bedside, leaning closer to look over your face. 

“Now. How are we feeling?” he asked. Curling your lip up, you turned your face away from him, not able to get the image of Qui-Gon’s body out of your mind. 

“Revolted. Disgusted. Repulsed,” you supplied, earning a scoff from your companion. 

“I meant,” he clarified, “your head. I thought it might be troubling you, so I brought some pain medication-”

“I’m not taking any pills you try to give me,” you bit out, trying to scoot further away from the Sith. 

“There really is no need for this,” he insisted, resting a hand on your knee. Letting out a snarl, you yanked your leg away from him, and he thankfully gave up any attempts at physical contact with you for the moment. 

“Where am I?” you demanded. 

“Somewhere no one will find you,” he simply said, turning his attention back to the tray he’d brought in. You watched as he opened a pill bottle despite what you’d said, setting out two tablets before pocketing the rest. Also on the tray was a glass of water and a sandwich of some sort, and you almost groaned in frustration at the rumble your stomach gave upon seeing it.

“So what?” you asked, dragging your eyes back up to his face. “I’m your prisoner now? Why am I here?”

“Well,” he sighed, setting his elbows on his knees, “I informed my master of the situation, and he believes that it might be beneficial for me to keep you here, if only for a little while.”

“To interrogate me?”

“Perhaps,” he responded, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “I’m actually not quite sure what I’ll do with you just yet. Although, I must admit, you look quite good cuffed to my-”

Before he could finish his sentence, you lunged forward and flailed your leg wildly, feeling a smile of your own form when you managed to land a kick to his abdomen. Settling back against the mattress, you sent him a withering glare as you spoke. 

“Do not speak to me like that,” you commanded, watching with satisfaction as he rubbed at his sore stomach. 

“That’s likely to bruise, you know.”

“Good,” you shot back. Rolling his eyes, he let out a huff of air and sank down into his armchair, crossing his legs and narrowing his eyes at you. 

“(Y/N), as fond of you as I am, I will not stand for disobedience. Like it or not, you are now my captive, and little stunts like that simply will not do. This one I will let pass, for you are right. That was a depraved comment on my part. However true it was,” he added with a smirk. You were tempted to kick that look off his face, too, but you held back as he pierced you with that intense gaze. 

“So,” he continued after a moment, “For now, I want you to just focus on feeling better. I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure you injured your head earlier, so I want you to take these pills. Though I know you won’t believe me, I do give you my word that they’re just for the pain, nothing more. Also, I thought you may be hungry. You’ve been asleep for a good while.”

“...Earlier, you said “good morning”. Have I been sleeping for a whole day?” you questioned. 

“Two, actually.”

Shocked, you stared at him for a long moment. 

“You kept me asleep for two days?!” you demanded. 

“Not purposefully, no,” he assured you. “Your head was still recovering from when you hit it; the effects of the force were just a bit stronger than usual because of it. But I can assure you I didn’t do anything untoward while you were unconscious.”

“‘Untoward’? Like kidnapping me and then chaining me to a bed?”

Smirking, he shrugged and looked you over, yellow eyes flashing as he spoke with his silky accent. 

“I could have done worse. After all, I am a Sith. According to the Jedi, I’m a being of pure evil. Anything could have happened to you. Be lucky it’s just this.”

“I’m well aware of what you’re capable of,” you scowled. “I watched you kill Qui-Gon Jinn, the man that practically raised you.”

“He didn’t raise me,” he sighed, standing up, “And he shouldn’t have gotten in my way.” It looked as if he was about to say something else, but he decided against it, instead turning to the sandwich that was still resting on the tray next to you. 

“Now. I’m going to take those cuffs off of you so you can eat,” he said, and you felt a small spark of hope flicker in your chest at the prospect of being free. “However,” he said, holding up a hand, “before I do, let me explain a few things to you. One,” he started, holding up a finger, “it isn’t possible for you to escape, due to several factors that are beyond your control. Two, if you attempt to escape, I will only force you back into those handcuffs again, whereas, if you cooperate, I will consider leaving them off, at least for a specified amount of time. And, three, we have already established that you cannot defeat me in combat, so fighting your way out is not an option. Understood?”

“Fine, fine, I get it,” you groaned, rolling your eyes. “Resistance is futile. I understand.” 

With that, Obi-Wan nodded warily and produced a small key from a pocket in his trousers, and you realized suddenly that he wasn’t wearing his usual heavy robes. Rather, he was dressed only in his dark pants and charcoal-gray undershirt. With a start, you realized that his saber was nowhere to be seen; there was no belt around his waist, and it wouldn’t fit into any of his pockets. Trying to hide the fluttering of anticipation in your chest, you forced yourself to relax as his fingers brushed against the skin of your inner wrist, removing the shackles from them quickly. 

Sitting up, you first moved as far away from him as you could while staying on the bed, rubbing the sore skin that had been trapped under the cuffs. You didn’t start to run for it, though, trying to buy yourself time, to find the right moment when he was distracted enough to give you half a chance at escape. As of now, his eyes followed your every movement like a hawk, and you gulped before slowly turning to face him, sitting cross-legged and holding out your hand. Seeming to be satisfied with this response, he handed you the plate, and you felt your stomach let out another noise of protest despite how tense you felt. 

As you ate, Kenobi still kept his gaze firmly on you, and you knew that something had to give. You had to do something to take him by surprise. Your mind was whirling with ideas, playing out potential scenarios in your head. Surely he would see any attack coming from a mile away; you’d already shown your aggression towards him, so he’d be predisposed to expect you to lash out at some point. But what if you took a different approach?

As you finished off the food, you couldn’t stop your mind from drifting back to the first time you’d encountered the Sith, when he’d made you the trade of your life for a kiss. Your cheeks flared up at the memory, earning a quizzical look from Obi-Wan as he watched you. Your eyes shot back down to the heavy porcelain plate in your hands, mind formulating a plan. 

Kenobi had seemingly done nothing but flirt with you since you’d met, and he’d freely admitted to being “fond” of you. What if that was the right angle to approach your escape from? You blushed even deeper at the idea that popped into your head, but as you glanced up at the Sith sitting before you, you decided that it was your best option, and you set aside your intense feeling of unease as you scooted just a bit closer to him. 

“Thanks,” you murmured, handing him the plate. Warily watching your expression, he took it from you and sat it down on the nightstand once more.

“Why are you blushing like that?” he asked, not trusting the sudden change in behavior. Sighing deeply, you couldn’t help but roll your eyes at him. 

“You keep looking at me like that,” you answered, looking down to your hands as they rested in your lap. In your peripherals, you saw him lean forward once more, and you were willing to bet money that he had that insufferable smirk plastered over his face once more. 

“Oh? Like what, sweet one?” You didn’t have to pretend to be flustered by that pet name, and you chanced a look up at him. Yep, that smirk was definitely there. 

“And you keep calling me that,” you mumbled. 

“Do you know why I call you that?” he asked softly, shifting towards you in his chair. Shaking your head, you kept your eyes down until you felt a soft touch under your chin, and you had to bite back your instinct to pull away as he tilted your face up to meet your gaze. 

“I call you that because your lips are the sweetest things I’ve ever tasted,” he cooed, moving his hand to cup your cheek. You felt bile rise up in your throat, but you didn’t allow yourself to jerk away from his touch. Rather, slowly, gently, you leaned into his palm, causing him to suck in a surprised breath as his irises flitted over your features. 

“You were my first kiss,” you mumbled, surprising both him and yourself. It was true; your life as a Jedi had prevented you from partaking in any such activities. Sure, there were some Jedi that had flings, just to burn off steam and get rid of any unwanted, pent-up arousal, but you’d never been one of them. The issue of kissing had never come up before meeting the insufferable Darth Valor. Still, though, you didn’t know why you’d chosen that moment to admit that little tidbit of your life. 

It seemed to serve your purpose well, though, because the man leaned in even closer to you, his breath washing over your face as he licked his lips. 

“Mine,” he growled softly, so softly that you almost couldn’t hear. From deep within his chest, he let out a primal sound, so low that you almost couldn’t understand it. “Completely mine…” 

With that, he surged forward and claimed your lips for a second time, and your hands flew up to his shoulders as if to push him away. You caught yourself before you could, however, and just kept your palms resting against him as his mouth moved over yours. Opening your eyes just a fraction, you saw that his were closed, and you immediately turned your gaze back to the plate he’d just sat down. Trailing a hand further down his back, you moved quickly, calling the porcelain to your palm as you shoved him away from you. 

With a yell, you bashed the plate over his head, feeling satisfied by the way he flinched back in pain as you did so, and took off running, flying out the door he’d come through earlier. Your heart lept into your throat when you heard a roar of anger sound from behind you, but you didn’t glance back as you blew through a living area, past a handful of doors as you sprinted towards what looked to be the cave’s entrance. Bright, white light was coming from the opening, and you felt the air around you get increasingly cold as you ran. 

Soon enough, you could see the world outside, and your heart dropped when you saw flurries of snow and icy mountains. You brushed off your hesitation, though, reasoning that anything was better than being stuck with a Sith. That is, until you found yourself in the entrance to the cave, which opened out onto a steep, high-up precipice. 

“Fuck!” you yelped, teetering on the edge. You threw your arms out to balance yourself, gazing down with frightened eyes. You couldn’t see the bottom of the mountain the cave was in from where you were standing, but you knew that, if you fell, you wouldn’t survive the drop. 

“So. It seems that you’ve chosen to learn the hard way what I mean by “escape is impossible”.”


	6. Chapter 6

Whipping back around to face him, you felt yourself freeze up as Valor wrapped the force around you like he had when you’d first fought. Your limbs were frozen, and all you could do was turn your head to follow his movements as he walked towards you. Sighing, he stood before you, looking over your face and letting out a tsk of annoyance. 

“That was incredibly stupid of you,” he murmured, tucking a stray strand of your hair behind your ear. You tilted your head away from his touch, only to have it frozen along with the rest of your body as he stroked through your tresses. “Although I must commend you; your methods aren’t entirely unpleasant. Even if it will leave me with a nasty bump on the head, kissing you was quite worth this little attempt at fleeing.” 

Smirking, he suddenly withdrew the force from you, only to place his hands on your shoulders to spin you around, forcing you to look out at the desolate landscape. 

“This cave we’re in is situated into the wall of a volcano,” he explained. “It is the only source of warmth on this otherwise frigid world that I’ve taken up residence on. Only I know the trail down from this ledge, and only I know where my ship is hidden. Let me offer you my firm assurances that you will only end up killing yourself by falling or freezing if you venture out there without me.” 

Turning you back around, his eyes locked onto yours. 

“Am I clear, Master (Y/L/N)?” 

Letting out a snarl of frustration, you pushed him away from you, looking back out over the edge of the cave once more. You felt tears well up in your eyes as the cold wind bit into your cheeks; you knew, deep down, that he was right. Your choices were to either stay with him as his prisoner, or die of hypothermia trying to find his ship. And while neither option seemed good to you, you weren’t yet ready to die. 

Turning back to face him, you took one step towards the inside of the cave, and it was all he needed before nodding his head and taking one of your wrists. 

“Good,” he grunted, dragging you back inside. Now that you weren’t running for your life, you made yourself look around at your surroundings as he led you back towards the bedroom. There were three doorways carved out of the main walls before the space opened up into the living room, which was decorated similarly to the room you’d woken up in. To the left, there was a holoscreen and a pair of black leather couches. Thick rugs covered the floor, swirling with cool colors of blue and green. Bookshelves had been carved into the walls here, and you were surprised to see actual bound books filling them instead of data pads like they had back at the temple’s Archives. 

To your right, there was a small dining area and an entranceway into what looked to be a fairly modern kitchen, and you found yourself wondering who’d managed to get all of the appliances and furniture into this place and how long it had taken for them to do so. These thoughts were shoved to the side, however, when you were pushed onto the bed once more, wrists once again shoved into their bonds. 

“I didn’t want to do this,” Valor sighed, running an exasperated hand through his hair. “But I did say that any stunts would be punished.” 

You decided not to dignify that comment with a response, and after a few moments of silence, your captor turned back around. 

“Call out if you need anything,” he said over his shoulder before disappearing from your sight. 

After Kenobi was gone, you felt yourself let out a breath you hadn’t known you’d been holding. The man put you on edge like no other; you told yourself that it was merely because he was a Sith, but deep down you knew that it also had to do with the man himself. There was a cool, distant grace that was prevalent in everything he said and did, and there was a power lurking beneath his surface that frightened you to no end. You had no idea what he was capable of, and the fact that he’d targeted you specifically made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The thing was, though, that you didn’t know if this was out of fear...or excitement. 

“Get ahold of yourself,” you mumbled, settling back against the pillows. “Don’t let him get to you. It’s only a matter of time before the Council finds you. And then you’ll never have to see him again.” 

_______________

Anakin felt that, if he spent one more minute pacing, he’d be able to see a line being worn into the tile from his feet. Warily, he forced himself to stand still, leaning heavily against the wall to his left. 

“You alright, master?” a quiet voice from behind him questioned. Turning around, Anakin felt himself soften upon seeing Ahsoka standing there, arms crossed and eyes lowered. 

“Yeah, Snips,” he sighed, running a hand down his face. “Yeah, I’m... “ He trailed off, looking down at the young girl in front of him. His chest felt like it was caving in, and he stopped before the lie could pass from his lips. 

“Actually,” he mumbled, dropping the forced cheeriness that had been in his voice, “I’m not alright.” 

Biting her lip, his padawan set a comforting hand against his shoulder, smiling weakly up at him. 

“Master (Y/L/N) will be alright,” she murmured, although it sounded like she was trying to convince even herself. “She’s tough. Valor won’t know what hit him.” 

Letting a small, crooked smile come to his lips, he covered her hand with his, squeezing her fingers as he spoke. 

“You’re right,” he said, although, internally, he was still worried sick about the woman he saw as a sister. “She can handle herself. There’s still something...off, though,” he worried, searching for words that could describe how he felt. “There’s something else going on here. I can feel it. And it’s not good.” 

Furrowing her eyebrows, Ahsoka was about to ask what he meant when a droid emerged from the room her master had been pacing in front of for so long. 

“You can go in now, Master Skywalker,” it chirped, and his head shot up upon hearing such news. Dropping his padawan’s hand, he hurriedly stepped through the doorway, letting out a shaky sigh of relief at the sight he saw. 

There sat his former master Qui-Gon Jinn, a large bandage covering the wound that had been cut through his right shoulder. Despite the pallor of his complexion, there was a fire behind his eyes as he looked up at the man who entered his room. 

“Ani,” he smiled, voice slightly hoarse. Anakin smiled back, sitting down on the hospital bed as he considered the old Jedi before him. 

“Master,” he greeted. “You had us worried sick.”

“Anakin,” Jinn insisted, leaning as far forward as his injuries would allow, “He didn’t kill me.”

“Uh… No, no he didn’t,” Anakin replied, confused by the tone in Qui-Gon’s voice. 

“No, you don’t understand,” the man responded. “He could have killed me. He could have struck me through my heart or taken off my head. But he didn’t. He let me live. There’s still good in him, Anakin.”

Feeling his heart sink, Anakin shook his head, feeling a wave of pity and compassion wash over him. 

“No, master,” he sighed, looking down. “He...he just made a mistake. He meant to kill-”

“No,” Qui-Gon responded, finally letting his head fall back against the pillows as the exhaustion of the day caught up with him. “He let me live. There’s still hope, Anakin.” 

As the Jedi’s eyes closed, a small, peaceful smile crept onto his lips. 

“I haven’t completely failed him. There’s still hope for Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

_____________

Three miserable days went by with you cuffed to that same bed, the only things breaking the time up being sleep and Kenobi as he brought you your meals. He’d only let one of your hands loose to eat with, still wary of you after your first day, but you didn’t complain. At least he wasn’t letting you starve. 

He also stopped trying to engage you in conversation after you’d decided to give him the silent treatment, and while you were glad you didn’t have to listen to his maddening attempts at flirtation, your brain was craving something to do. You’d stared at every visible spot in that room, memorizing the patterns in the rock of the ceiling and walls, and counting all of the furniture. Your eyes ached from staring at the red of the rugs and sheets, and you longed for something to do. At first, you’d been too proud to ask Kenobi for a book or journal, but as the third evening approached, you felt yourself growing desperate. Not to mention the fact that he hadn’t yet allowed you to shower or change your clothes; you felt horribly grimey, and you knew that the smell you were starting to emit wasn’t pleasant. 

As he sauntered in with your dinner for that evening, you felt your willpower break as you stared up at him. 

“I need to shower,” you croaked, voice sore from not using it for so long. “And I will go insane if you keep me chained here for much longer.”

Smirking, he set down your plate (plastic, you noted), and set his hands on his hips. 

“Are you going to try and fight me again, (Y/N)?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Gritting your teeth, you shook your head, glaring. 

“No,” you bit out. Seeming to be satisfied with that answer, he nodded and slowly leaned forward, causing your heart to leap into your throat. He didn’t try anything, however, and instead just took off the cuffs. Immediately you scrambled to the other side of the bed, standing up and almost gasping as your muscles stretched for the first time in days. You were a bit weak as you took your first steps, but your Jedi training helped you grow used to movement once more. 

As you stretched, Obi-Wan kept his eyes on you, but you noticed that he didn’t look suspicious; if anything, he looked just as happy as you felt at being able to be up and about. 

“Well, then,” he said, walking over to one of the closets, “I have some clothes that you can wear for the time being. They aren’t exactly...first rate, but I believe they’ll serve your purposes well enough.” Sifting through his garments, he eventually brought out a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeved t-shirt. Both were black, and they looked to be made of soft material. 

“They used to be mine, but they shrank in the wash, so they shouldn’t be too awfully loose on you,” he explained, holding them out to you. Cautiously, slowly, you stepped closer to him and took them from his hands, immediately backing up a step to put distance between you. While he sighed at your actions, he didn’t make any further comments before leading you out through the main room and towards one of the doors you’d noticed before. 

“There are soaps and products under the sink,” he said, opening the door for you. “And towels are in the linen cabinet.” You needed no further prompting, and you rushed past him, locking the door behind you before making a beeline for the shower. 

Over the past few days, Kenobi had only let you use the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom, and it didn’t contain a shower of any sort. Now, though, you stood before a tub that looked to be big enough for four people to sit in, and a shower head lay within the wall above your head. Looking around for the appropriate knobs, you finally managed to turn it on, and you watched as steam slowly filled the room. Shucking off your clothes, you searched under the sink to find your needed toiletries before setting them on the floor of the tub and getting in. 

You couldn’t hold back the groan that escaped your throat when the heated water hit your skin, and your fingers immediately went up to your hair, practically purring as you scrubbed your scalp with a rose-scented shampoo you’d found. As the layers of sweat and grime were washed away, you almost felt like a new person. For the moment, you were able to set aside the sad reality of your situation and just focus on getting clean, and it was a long while until you stepped back out. Wrapping a towel around yourself, you paused when you caught your reflection in the mirror. 

You didn’t look much different from how you’d looked a week ago; if anything, there were faint shadows resting under your eyes from your lack of proper rest, but you didn’t look any paler or skinnier. You still felt unsettled, though, that your reflection hadn’t changed even though your life had been turned upside down. 

“You can do this,” you whispered to yourself, leaning your palms on the countertop as a surge of determination shot through you. You still didn’t know what Kenobi wanted of you, but you told yourself that you would make it through, that his little mind games wouldn’t get the better of you. 

As you turned away from the mirror and started redressing, you kept that thought in mind, clinging to your will to stay strong and praying to the force that it would prove true, no matter what Darth Valor had in store.


	7. Chapter 7

You stepped out of the bathroom, shivering when your bare feet hit the cool stone floor. Walking slowly, carefully, you made your way to the living room, eyes darting about as you looked for the Sith you were now reluctantly living with. 

“Ah, hello there,” his voice called out, and you watched as he poked his head out from the kitchen. 

“...Hello,” you replied, shifting the bundle of your old clothes in your arms. Part of you had wanted to put them back on and ignore the clothes he’d given you, but they were dirty, and you had to admit that the soft fabric of his old sweatpants were a huge contrast to the rough wool that the temple had provided you with. 

“You look lovely in my clothes,” he observed, quirking an eyebrow. You blushed and looked down at yourself, taking note of how sweatpants you were in hung low on your hips from how baggy they were, despite the drawstring. Paired with his old shirt, which had sleeves that hung down past your fingertips, your outfit looked like something a homeless person would wear. But it was the best you could do for now. 

“Where should I put these?” you asked, gesturing to your clothes. 

“There’s a hamper in the laundry room. First door on the right,” he said, pointing into the hallway you’d just come from. Turning back around, you opened the indicated door and threw them into the wooden hamper inside before walking back out into the living room. 

For several moments, you stood there, just looking around unsurely at the books that lined the walls. You didn’t know what you should be doing. On one hand, your instincts screamed at you not to get too comfortable in the home of your captor, but you also knew that there was no point in fighting him anymore than you had. Plus, you were just happy to be out of his bed, and you were happy to do anything other than sit chained to it all day. So, with a resigned sigh, you walked over to the bookcase and picked up a random tome. Flipping it open, you scanned the title page, reading the words there under your breath. 

“The Origins of the Sith,” you read aloud. Flinching, you dropped the book as if it were on fire, taking a step back from it in disgust. 

“Well that was quite rude,” Obi-Wan sighed, walking out of the kitchen. He held a pot holder in one hand as he strode over you you, calling the book to his hand with the force and placing it back in its rightful place on his shelf. “What did that book ever do to you?”

“It was about the Sith,” you said defensively. 

“Well, yes, but just holding a book isn’t going to convert you to the dark side,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “Besides, it’s just history. There’s no harm in knowing about where Sith come from.” 

You shrugged, looking back to the bookshelf. 

“Are all of these about that?”

“No,” he replied, taking a look over the shelf for himself. “Most of them are, but there are a few novels and story collections here and there. You’re welcome to them if you’d like. Now, however, it’s time for dinner.”

Turning back around, he gestured for you to follow him as he walked back into the kitchen, retrieving a large, steaming dish and carrying it over to the dining table. You followed him hesitantly, not wanting to show any unnecessary disobedience lest he decide to chain you up once more. Plus, it was hard to find him very intimidating when he was wearing a pair of sky-blue oven mitts. 

“For the past few days, I’ve stuck mostly to pre packaged foods for you, but tonight I thought I’d try to actually cook something,” he said as you sat down. Raising an eyebrow, you watched as he retrieved two cups of water for you both before taking his own seat. 

“Why? Is this poisoned or something?” you snarked, taking a sip of your water. 

“Very funny,” he replied with a deadpan tone. Without looking up, he started scooping some of the dish’s contents into his bowl, doing the same for you when you made no move to get your own food. 

Picking up your fork, you poked at the meal before you. It looked to be some sort of casserole made primarily out of vegetables. Shrugging, you speared some of it onto your fork and took a bite, chewing carefully and trying not to wrinkle your nose up at the taste. It wasn’t...terrible, you decided, but it definitely wasn’t good. Turning to Valor, you almost let out a snort upon seeing the displeased expression on his own face as he ate. 

“Oh, dear,” he muttered, frowning down at his dish. “I...have no excuse for this.” 

This time, you couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, looking back down to your own bowl. 

“To be fair, the food served at the temple usually tastes like this,” you muttered, earning a chuckle from your companion. 

“Oh, I remember. Believe it or not, that’s where I learned my very few cooking skills.”

“I can see that.” 

Laughing once more, the Sith took both of your bowls and headed back to the kitchen, coming out a few moments later with some pre-packaged salads for the both of you. 

“Just...pretend that I made these,” he winced, setting one down in front of you. Nodding, you started eating the new plate in front of you, this time actually enjoying its taste. 

While you ate, you stole several glances at the man in front of you, puzzled by this new development in your situation. You knew that you were his prisoner, and you’d definitely felt like one for the last three days, but now he was treating you more like a guest than anything else. It made you wonder the real reason why you were there, if there was a point to all of this or if it was just Valor’s way of forcing you to play house with him. 

As you finished your dinner, you couldn’t take the wondering anymore, and you spoke up as you set your fork down. 

“Why am I here, Valor?” you asked, all laughter gone from your voice now. 

Sighing through his nose, Kenobi set his utensil down as well, sliding his now-empty plate away from him. 

“Well, I’ve talked to my master once more, and he believes that you hold a potential within you that I should...explore,” he explained slowly, searching for the right words. “Tell me, how long have you been a Jedi Knight?”

“...About a year,” you said hesitantly. 

“My. You’re quite young, aren’t you?” he questioned, tilting his head to the side as he examined you. 

“Oh, like you’re so much older,” you bit back. 

“Well. Age aside, you have much you could still learn, sweet one. I would like to make you a deal.”

“A deal?” you repeated, feeling a sense of unease well up in you. 

“Yes. I think that we can both help each other, given the situation we’re now in,” he drawled. “See, you’re stuck here with me, and I have been instructed by my master to lay low for a while. So we both will be here for quite a bit.”

“What are you getting at?” you prompted, leaning back in your chair. 

“I want to train you,” he declared. “I can see you becoming so powerful; the force is strong with you, (Y/N). I long to see what you could do with a proper teacher. Let me teach you, and I will let you go in a year.”

Scoffing, you pushed yourself up out of your chair and started walking to the living room. 

“You must be joking,” you mumbled. You were jerked to a stop, however, when a hand caught your wrist, and you spun around to see Kenobi standing over you. 

“I’m deathly serious, little one,” he replied, looking over your face intently. 

“I’m not going to become a Sith,” you insisted, yanking your arm out of his grasp. “You’re insane if you think-”

“I never said that I would teach you the ways of the dark side,” he interrupted. “While I would love nothing more than to do that, I meant that I could simply improve upon your previous instructions. I was never fond of Mace Windu, and it’s clear that he didn’t take your training seriously enough. Let me finish what he started.” 

“And agree to be stuck here for a whole year? Not gonna happen,” you said, shaking your head. “I would rather kill myself.”

Sucking in a breath, Obi-Wan drew back and narrowed his eyes at you. 

“Alright, then. How long do you think is a fair amount to trade away?” he bit out. 

Rolling your eyes, you shrugged and looked up at the ceiling, unable to believe that you were actually bartering with a Sith. 

“A month,” you said, but he only shook his head and chuckled darkly. “Fine, then. Three months.”

“Ten.” 

“Five.” 

“Eight.” 

“Six,” you responded, but he only stepped closer, looming over you. 

“I’m not going any less than eight, love. I’m reasonable; don’t push it. I could just chain you to my bed and keep you as a pet forever,” he growled, running a finger down the line of your jaw. Stumbling back several steps, you glared at him and crossed your arms, sighing deeply. 

Closing your eyes, your mind turned over his words, and you decided that, as much as you hated it, he was right. You had no choice; this was the best offer you were going to get. 

“Fine,” you groaned, looking down at your feet. “I accept.” 

“I accept…?” he prompted, raising an eyebrow. Gritting your teeth, you looked up to meet his smug, golden gaze before speaking again. 

“I accept…Master.” 

You felt as if you were going to be sick as you watched his face break into a wide, savage smile.


	8. Chapter 8

“Master Jinn, considering your...attachment to this matter, we don’t think it would be wise for you to take on this endeavor.”

Qui-Gon Jinn furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the council and its members, feeling a familiar frustration for them blooming in his mind. 

“I’ll admit that, because of my history with Obi-Wan-”

“Darth Valor, you mean,” Yoda interrupted. Gritting his teeth, Jinn simply nodded and resumed speaking. 

“...Because of my history with him, I may be a bit more determined to find him and Master (Y/L/N). But that doesn’t mean I’m not equipped to-”

“The council has made its decision, Qui-Gon,” Master Windu sighed exasperatedly. Upon seeing an angry expression wash over the Jedi’s face, he added in a softer tone, “Remember that (Y/N) was my padawan, too. I’m anxious to see her safe as well. And I used to be fond of Padawan Kenobi; nothing would bring me more pleasure than to see that you’re right, that there is hope for him. But we need to be smart about this; the Sith are no joking matter.”

“But you’re just going to let them go without further investigation,” Master Jinn sighed, bringing a hand up to rub his forehead, already feeling the start of a headache. 

“We never said that,” Windu said, causing Qui-Gon to look up once more. 

“Assigned Master Skywalker and his padawan to the case, we have,” Yoda announced. 

Immediately, Qui-Gon felt some of his displeasure recede. Anakin was intensely strong in the force, and he had faith in his padawan. While he still would have preferred to be the one to go looking for Obi-Wan, he admitted that, as far as solutions go, this one wasn’t the worst the council could have chosen. 

“Thank you, masters,” he said, bowing his head. “I have confidence in my former padawan. However, if something comes up and it seems that I can be of some assistance-”

“You’ll be the first one we tell,” Master Windu sighed, waving Qui-Gon off. “Yes, yes, I promise. That will be all, Master Jinn.”

With that, Qui-Gon spun on his heel and exited the council chamber, muttering under his breath as he walked out into the hall. 

“Where are you, Obi-Wan? Where could you be? And how does (Y/N) play into all of this?”

_______________

“Again.”

You glared up at the Sith standing over you as you lay crumpled on the floor, breathing heavily and sporting several new bruises that hadn’t been there at the start of the day. 

After the deal had been struck yesterday, you’d gone to bed, feeling emotionally drained from your encounter with Valor. That morning, after a breakfast of oatmeal and sliced fruits, he’d announced that your training would begin with your “mediocre saber skills”. So now, here you were, in the last room in his house you’d had yet to see. Really, it was mostly bare, a vast room intended for training and meditation. It was bigger than any other rooms of the house, and it was obvious that Kenobi spent most of his time here, judging by how untouched the rest of the house was compared to this place. 

Sighing and wiping the sweat from your brow, you made no move to get up off the floor as you stared tiredly up at your new “master”. This was the fourth time he’d struck you down after only a few minute’s worth of actual fighting, and you were beginning to feel how those days of inactivity had affected you. You felt more slow and sluggish than usual, especially with how obviously skilled Valor was. 

“Can I just...take a minute or two?” you asked, hating how your breath was still ragged from fighting him. Powering down his training saber, he simply nodded and padded over to the far wall of the room towards a small fridge, from which he produced two water bottles. 

Tossing one to you, he opened his own and took a long drink, despite the fact that he hadn’t even broken a sweat during your training. Your eyes followed the movement of his throat as he swallowed, and you had to snap your gaze away from him, mentally screaming at yourself for finding him attractive. 

“Do you know why you cannot beat me?” he asked, walking back over to sit down in front of you, crossing his legs as he would during meditation. 

“Because you have more experience?”

“Well, yes, that does help,” he explained, “but it has more to do with what’s going on in your brain as you fight. You keep second-guessing your attacks, trying to analyze my style of fighting and thinking back to when you were still a padawan learning what style you should defend my moves with. Correct?”

Sighing through your nose, you nodded your head, looking down at your training saber. 

“Yes,” you answered. 

“While I commend you for being familiar with the technical side of fighting, it’s still important to rely at least a bit on your instincts. Let your muscle memory take over if your opponent’s attacks become unpredictable or hard to follow,” he commanded. 

“Now,” he continued, “if you were training to be a Sith, I’d recommend that you harness the emotions of the fight and manipulate them to serve your purpose, but-”

“I’m not becoming a Sith,” you growled, earning a smirk from Kenobi. 

“Mhm. But don’t worry, my dear, I don’t fault you for it,” he chuckled, standing up. “Now. Shall we continue?” 

Reaching down, he offered a hand to help you stand up with, and you reluctantly grabbed it, letting him help you heave yourself up off the ground. Twirling your saber once, you activated it once more, its white blade humming at a low frequency. At the setting it was currently on, it would only emit a small amount of heat, not enough to leave any real burns. It did bruise, though, if your opponent didn’t go easy on you, which Kenobi hadn’t done once. You had to admit, though, that you didn’t want him to. While you weren’t happy about calling him Master, you still knew that this experience could teach you something, if you let it. And so you decided to apply the advice he’d given you, willing your mind to relax as he started swinging at you. 

Letting your eyes focus on Kenobi’s face, you reached out with the force, feeling his movements as they were being made. Biting your lip, you saw that he was doing the same, and you let your gaze drop to his chest, stumbling a bit as you dodged one of his attacks. You recovered, though, and blocked his swings as you both started moving. 

You’d found that Kenobi liked to try and box you in, to put your back against the wall so you had nowhere to go. You felt him doing it then as you sparred, and you forced your feet to move closer to him, not allowing yourself to be cornered once more. 

As you fought, a small part of you celebrated, seeing that this was the longest you’d lasted in a fight against him thus far, but you didn’t let that though break your concentration. Furrowing your eyebrows, you started tentatively going on the offensive, sneaking in attacks of your own rather than simply deflecting his blows. 

At one point, Kenobi tried to kick your legs out from under you, but you jumped up, avoiding his attack and instead bringing your saber down on his arm. Yelping, his yellow eyes snapped up to you, and the fierce look within them was intimidating and unsettling enough to make you lose your footing. Twirling his saber quickly, he managed to knock your saber away from you and press his blade against your throat, just as he had when you first met. 

“I win once again, my apprentice,” he purred, but you rolled your eyes and shoved the blade away from your face. 

“But I still managed to cut off your arm,” you observed. Smirking, he nodded his head, calling your saber to him with the force and walking towards the chest he’d been storing them in. 

“True. You did very well that round. Perhaps, within eight more months, you’ll even manage to best me.”

Setting the sabers down and closing their box, he straightened up and turned to you, crossing his arms and pinning you with his golden eyes once more. 

“I believe this evening we should work on meditation, but for now, I believe it’s time for lunch,” he remarked, gesturing towards the kitchen. “Shall we?”

“Sure,” you sighed, walking past him. “But I’m cooking it this time.”

“Oh really?” he questioned, following you as you walked that way. 

“Really. Your cooking is almost as awful as your personality,” you snarked. 

“You wound me, my apprentice,” he responded, reaching forward and setting a warm hand on your shoulder. “I truly can’t be that bad. You’ve willingly kissed me not once, but twice, after all.”

“Two decisions that I will regret until the day I die,” you mumbled, shaking his hand off. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, you set your hands on your hips and thought about what you could cook. Checking in the cupboards and refrigerator, you saw that, for an isolated hideout in the tundra, he was actually well equipped, with a variety of food to make. While you were no chef, you had learned some basics from Master Windu, who refused to eat what the cantina at the temple served, and you found what you’d need to make a simple baked spaghetti. 

As you worked, Kenobi leaned back against the counter, eyes never leaving your form. Sighing as you set a pot of water on to boil, you glared at him out of the corner of your eye. 

“Do you mind not staring at me?” you bit out, causing him to chuckle. 

“That’s right, my apprentice, use your anger,” he laughed, causing you to flush and turn back around. 

“I need to make sure you don’t decide to get creative with my kitchen knives,” he finally explained, causing your eyes to drift over to where he kept them. Honestly, you hadn’t thought about them, seeing whereas you were so used to a lightsaber being your only weapon. But he did have a point; if you just managed to get ahold of one, you could-

“If you even attempt to do something that foolish,” he interrupted your train of thought, “I will tie you to that bed for much longer than eight months, I promise you.”

“And lose your new apprentice?” 

“Oh, believe me sweet one, I can think of so many other uses for you,” he purred, causing your face to heat up even more. Clearing your throat, you shook your head and focused your gaze on the pan of ground meat you had cooking. Stirring it with a wooden spoon, you mumbled to yourself. 

“There’s something very wrong about flirting with an apprentice,” you grumbled. Despite your low tone, Kenobi still heard you, and you saw him move a bit closer out of the corner of your eye. 

“It’s only because you’re my apprentice that I’m not pursuing you further,” he said, quirking an eyebrow and smirking at you. Scoffing, you looked up to meet his eyes in a challenging manner. 

“And what makes you think that you would ever have a chance with me?” you prompted, crossing your arms. 

“I’ve seen the way you look at me,” he grinned, inclining his head closer. “It’s very similar to the way I look at you.” Your eyes widened and you looked down to the stove quickly, but he caught your chin between his fingers and moved your face back up towards him. 

“I meant what I said during our second meeting, (Y/N). There’s something between us, something connecting us. I’ve certainly felt it. Why do you think I’m so enamored with you only after knowing you for such a short time?”

“Because you’re an unstable Sith Lord who takes delight in corrupting Jedi,” you bit, forcing your face out of his grasp. This only caused him to let out a delighted laugh, though. 

“Corrupt you, hm? Yes, I quite like the sound of that,” he grinned, golden eyes twinkling with mischief and something else that set you on edge and caused goosebumps to rise up over your arms. 

From then on, you decided to stay quiet as you cooked, not even sparing him a glance until the food was ready. Scooping out two bowls, you shoved one towards him and took your own, walking into the living room and sitting cross-legged on the couch as you ate, feeling the now-familiar urge to slap Kenobi’s smug grin off his face. 

It was going to be a long eight months.


	9. Chapter 9

The first month of eight went by. Every day started out with saber practice, and every afternoon was spent meditating or working on force manipulation. Despite the fact that your muscles were constantly sore and your “master” kept flirting with you every chance he got, you found yourself improving even after just a few weeks of training. Overall, you were more centered, and gradually, you were lasting longer in saber practice against the Sith. You were still nowhere close to being good enough to beat him, but it was an improvement nonetheless. 

Speaking of the Sith, you were begrudgingly getting used to him, too. He still made snide comments that set your cheeks on fire, but he never did anything to make you truly fearful. While his very presence unnerved you, he didn’t get into your personal space during any time other than practice, and even then he was careful to keep his hands in their rightful place, despite the vaguely sexual comments he’d make almost every day. 

After your first month in training, though, something happened to cause a break in your carefully-crafted routine. 

“I need to go away on a supply run,” Obi-Wan announced that day at breakfast. Looking up from the eggs you’d cooked for yourself, you furrowed your eyebrows. 

“Um… Ok. How long should that take?” you asked. 

“The nearest planet with a civilized place to buy goods is about half a day’s travel away,” he sighed, stroking his beard. “I’m very sorry, my dear, but since you haven’t truly proven that I can trust you…” Trailing off, he pulled out the dreaded pair of force-suppressant handcuffs, and you felt your body stiffen at the sight of them. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you scoffed, rising slowly from the table. 

“I’m as apologetic as can be, sweet one. But I can’t have you trying anything while I’m gone,” he explained, having at least the decency to look pained by his course of action. 

“Why can’t you take me with you?” you asked, but you only received a derisive snort from the Sith. Desperate not to be cuffed once more, much less for a whole day, you found yourself pleading with him. “I won’t try to get away. Please, I just… I don’t want to be chained up again.” 

Something in his expression softened, and he looked down for several moments, thinking deeply. 

“Well… I suppose that we could work something out,” he mused. “I could bring you with me, but you’d have to remain on the ship while I’m gone. With these on,” he said, gesturing to the restraints he still held. “It would only be during the hour I’m purchasing supplies, though.” 

Nodding quickly, you felt a smile stretch across your lips. You were finally getting out of this place! Frantically, you grabbed your plate and set it down in the sink before heading to the laundry room to grab a fresh change of clothes. Picking out the ones that you’d arrived in, which had just recently been washed, you scrambled towards the bathroom, only vaguely aware of the chuckle that your captor let out upon seeing you so excited. 

Pulling your clothes on, you surveyed your reflection in the mirror, having to do a double-take as you looked at yourself. Captivity hadn’t been harsh on you; on the contrary, you probably looked better than you had when you’d first arrived. While your skin was just a shade paler from being cooped up inside all the time, you were a bit leaner than you had been, muscles growing stronger from your constant training. And your hair was growing longer, if only by an inch or so. 

Frowning, you eventually pulled on your boots and reemerged into the main area, only to run right into Obi-Wan as he was walking by. 

“Woah, there,” he chuckled, catching you before you could trip and fall back. “Careful. I know you’re excited, but don’t lose your senses.” 

Shrugging, you straightened up to find yourself chest-to-chest with the man in question, and you swallowed thickly before taking a step back. His hands didn’t leave your shoulders, however, and you cleared your throat. 

“Yeah, well, you can’t blame me from wanting to get out of my glorified excuse for a cage,” you said, rolling your eyes. Scoffing, Kenobi finally let you go, heading towards the bedroom to gather everything he’d need for the trip. Pacing the living room anxiously, you waited until he came back out and announced that it was time for you two to leave. Not being able to bite back your grin, you headed towards the mouth of the cave, but Kenobi stopped you with a hand on your wrist. 

“Hold on,” he said. “Two things. Firstly, put this on or else you’ll freeze,” he instructed, handing you a thick, fur-lined coat that was obviously one of his, just like most of the clothing that you’d been wearing recently. Shrugging it on, you noticed that it was far too big for you, but it was warm, so you didn’t complain, only pulling the collar up to protect your ears from the wind outside. 

“And next, I’ll ask you to allow me to put this over your eyes,” he said, holding up a long strip of silk, obviously meant to be a blindfold. 

“...Pardon me?” you asked, tone deadpan as you arched an eyebrow. 

“Well, I can’t have you knowing where my ship is, now can I?” he chuckled. “What would prevent you from trying to escape?”

Sighing, you knew he had a point. Deciding not to push your luck any further, you simply nodded and shut your eyes, tilting your head up for him. You felt smooth silk settle over your eyes and fingertips brush against your hair, and you opened your eyes to see nothing but blackness. 

“There we are,” Obi-Wan’s voice murmured, letting his fingers card through your hair before stepping back. You shivered at the contact but remained still until you felt something cold and cool being placed over your wrists. Gasping, you shifted back, but it was too late; the cuffs were over your wrists. 

“You said-”

“I’ll take them off once we get to the ship, dear one,” Valor promised. “They’re just to make sure you don’t try anything that we’ll both regret. Now. If you’ll allow me…”

With that, you let out a yelp as arms wrapped themselves around you, pulling you up into Kenobi’s arms. 

“What the hell, Obi-Wan?!”

Laughing, he simply started walking towards the exit, causing you to shiver as the colder air washed over you. 

“Would you rather me let you stumble about blindly?” he questioned. When you didn’t answer, he simply continued to walk, and soon you felt the wind pick up and snowflakes kiss your cheeks as you two exited the cave, taking a hidden path that you hated you couldn’t see. 

As you were being carried, you couldn’t stop your mind from wandering. If he’d been honest about taking the cuffs off during your traveling, then a way would be opened up for you to escape. If you could somehow incapacitate the Sith, you could use his ship to send a transmission back to the temple on Coruscant. You might even be able to fly it back to your home and bring Valor into custody, if you were lucky. 

Resting your head against Kenobi’s shoulder, you let out a sigh. How would you manage this, though? He was still more skilled in combat than you were, despite your training, and he was obviously wary of you attempting to get away. Your previous method of distracting him enough to flee was extremely unsuccessful, and you’d only been rewarded for your efforts by getting chained to his bed. As much as you hated it, you were afraid to show any disobedience to him; you had yet to see even a fraction of his true wrath, and you didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his anger. 

But it killed you to think of yourself just laying back and letting him keep you like some object or slave. 

Your thoughts were put on pause when you heard the swishing of doors opening, and the cold wind ceased as Obi-Wan stepped into his ship. Setting you down, he took hold of your cuffs and used them to guide you into what you assumed to be the cockpit. 

“Sit here,” he instructed, leading you to a chair. You followed his instruction and sank down into it, listening to him settle down beside you. A shudder echoed throughout the ship as he turned it on, and within minutes you took off. 

After exiting the atmosphere of whatever planet he’d been keeping you on and shifting into light speed, Kenobi finally turned to you and started taking off the blindfold. 

Blinking your eyes quickly, you adjusted to the change in light and watched as he then removed your cuffs, letting out a sigh as your connection to the force came flowing back to you. 

“Now,” he sighed, sitting back in his seat, “I don’t think I need to remind you of the fact that trying to escape is futile?”

“I remember,” you grumbled, rubbing your wrists. Pulling your legs up into your chair, you sat cross-legged and looked out at the stars, feeling the Sith’s unnaturally colored eyes flit over your form. 

“Why?” you heard yourself say. “Why did you leave the Jedi?” 

Upon hearing the man beside you scoff, you regretted your sudden question. You’d been wondering about this ever since you’d met the man, but you’d never asked him, for fear that he’d get upset or take your attempts at holding a conversation as a sign to antagonize you as he seemed to love doing. After a few seconds, however, you were surprised when you heard him do neither. 

“It was several factors,” he said slowly, turning to make eye contact with you. “You’re familiar with how Qui-Gon Jinn found the boy they think is the Chosen One? Anakin Skywalker?” You noticed the bitterness in his tone when he spoke of Anakin, and you felt a twang of protectiveness for your friend. 

“Yes,” you replied. “I remember when it happened. I was one of Anakin’s first friends.” Valor let out a scoff upon hearing this, but he made no further comment on the matter. 

“Yes, well. After the Battle of Naboo, Qui-Gon and I encountered a Sith named Darth Maul. We fought him, and I managed to kill him.”

“I remember,” you said, trying to call to mind all the events that had occurred during that time. You’d just been a padawan, and it seemed like forever ago. “I heard that Master Jinn’s apprentice had killed the Sith. I never put two and two together; I didn’t realize it was you who’d done that.”

“Hm. Well, after killing him, I went through my trials and became a knight. I didn’t feel ready at the time, but Qui-Gon was determined to train the boy; he was ready to get rid of me as soon as he could.”

“Is that why you killed him?” you snapped, unable to hold your tongue. You saw his shoulders stiffen and his mouth open to make a response, but he paused, biting back whatever he was about to say. 

“No,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked out at the stars as they flew past. “No, it is not. In any case, though, I was very angry with him at the time. And at the council. I found myself questioning the Code more and more, and it was then that my current master found me.”

“But why?” you insisted, shaking your head rapidly. “I still don’t understand how you could betray the Jedi. Sure, we all disagree with the Code every now and then, but that doesn’t mean-”

“So you admit that you’ve disagreed with the Code before,” he interrupted. 

“Well…” you looked down, furrowing your eyebrows. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“But you said it,” he said. “Why?” You looked over at him, surprised when his expression was one of curiosity instead of smugness. Considering your words carefully, you answered him slowly. 

“Well… Everyone has feelings,” you murmured. “You can’t help but develop them for others, those who you’re close with and work alongside often. The rule against attachments can sometimes seem… Unfair.” You trailed off, silent for several long moments until you realized the implications of what you’d just said. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to live by the Code. And it doesn’t mean anyone should go to the Dark Side.”

“Tell me,” Obi-Wan said gently. “You speak of the Dark Side of the Force as if it’s some evil, contemptible thing. But do you truly believe that something, especially within the force, can be inherently bad? I’ll admit that many people who’ve fallen to the Dark Side have chosen to do use it for badness, but that doesn’t mean that it is, itself, wrong.” 

“It teaches its users to use their emotions to lash out at those around them, that peace is a lie and passions should be given into no matter how harmful they can be,” you spat. 

“General,” Kenobi purred, leaning closer. “You’ve seen years of combat first-hand. Do you truly believe that there will someday be peace in this tumultuous galaxy? Even if the Clone Wars are won by the Republic, there will always be a fight somewhere.”

“Then what is worth fighting for, if not peace?”

“Passion, of course,” Valor grinned, looking over your features. Blushing, you looked away, shaking your head once more. 

“You...are impossible,” you groaned. Laughing deeply, Kenobi flashed you a genuine smile before turning back to the controls of the ship. 

“I know,” he replied. After considering you for a few more moments, he brought up a different subject. 

“I remember you from my time at the temple,” he said softly. “Windu’s young padawan learner.”

Frowning, you arched an eyebrow at him. 

“How? I never knew you.”

“Oh, I never sought you out,” he murmured. “I was much too shy back then.”

“You? Shy? Around me?” you chuckled disbelievingly. 

“Yes,” he responded. “You were always so beautiful, and I was...well. I didn’t even know how to go about speaking to you. So I didn’t. That didn’t stop me from noticing you, though.”

Blushing, you considered him out of the corner of your eye. 

“In any case,” you sighed, “I think I would have liked you better as a shy padawan than a cocky Sith Lord.”

“Technically speaking, I’m not a “Lord” just yet,” he grinned. “But thank you, anyways.”

With that, you two fell into a comfortable silence, your mind turning over what Obi-Wan could have been like back then. With a twinge of regret, you thought that, maybe, you would have liked him back then, before he’d been corrupted by the Dark Side. 

A sudden thought overtook you, and you met his yellow eyes cautiously. 

“Can I ask you something else?” you questioned. 

“Of course, sweet one.”

“...What color did your eyes used to be?” you asked softly. You watched as a strange look overtook his features, one that vaguely resembled regret, or a longing for something you couldn’t name, but it was gone as he glanced out once more at the stars. 

“Blue,” he whispered. “They used to be blue.”

_____________

“We’re approaching the planet, Snips,” Anakin announced, stepping out of the cockpit to speak to his padawan. She looked up from the data pad she’d been reading and nodded, setting it aside. 

“Do you think we’ll really find her here, Master?” 

“A ship that fits the description of the one Darth Valor was last seen in docked at this planet to refuel last month, a day or so after she was taken,” he replied. “It’s the best lead we have right now; we’ll just have to hope for the best.”

Nodding her head, Ahsoka got up from the chair she’d been sitting in. 

“I hope she’s ok. I hate to think about what that creep has done to her,” she muttered. 

“Me too, Snips,” Anakin sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Me too.”

Turning back to the cockpit, he gestured for his apprentice to follow him. 

“Help me land, oh padawan of mine,” he called over his shoulder. “We have a Jedi to find.”


	10. Chapter 10

No words were spoken until you saw the form of a planet approaching. After hours of staring out at nothing but stars and space, it was a relief to see something new out of the viewport. Sighing, Obi-Wan flicked on the autopilot and turned to you, holding up the cuffs once more. 

“Remember our deal, my apprentice?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. Letting out a huff of breath, you stood up with him and shook your head. 

“Yes. Although I’d hoped you’d forgotten,” you grumbled. 

“No such luck, my sweet,” he chuckled. Frowning, he looked around the cabin of the ship, searching for something stable he could cuff you to. 

“Would you prefer to sit in that chair over there,” he asked, pointing to the kitchen table, “or on the bed?”

Rolling your eyes, you headed towards the table. 

“Here is fine,” you grunted. With an annoyed sigh, you sunk down into the chair and watched Kenobi lean over you, linking your wrists together with the cuffs and fastening their chain to an exposed pipe behind your back. Feeling your force sensitivity drain from you, you winced and squirmed, trying to find the most comfortable way to sit. 

Deciding that you were well and truly trapped there, Valor took a step back and smiled softly down at you. 

“Thank you for cooperating with me, sweet one,” he purred, heading back to the cockpit in order to land the ship. “I’ll have to get you something nice while I’m out.”

Once more, you rolled your eyes, not even wanting to know what that “something nice” was. Quietly, you sat as the Sith landed, feeling yourself shake as the ship settled down on solid ground once more. You felt a wave of regret wash over you upon thinking of a whole world out there you could escape into, but you tried to resign your fate to being stuck with Kenobi. At least there was an end in sight; only 7 months to go. 

“Alright, then,” he called out, coming back into the main room. You watched as he went to a small bag he had set out on his bed, stripping out of his long robes until he was just in his undershirt and pants. 

“Uh… What are you doing?” you asked, a faint blush tinting your cheeks as you watched him undress. 

“Making myself look more...normal,” he replied. “Sith robes and eyes have a tendency to stand out.” 

Pulling a brown tunic out of the bag, he shrugged it over his shoulders, pulling at the fabric until it settled comfortably over him. Next, he pulled out a small container and strode into what you assumed to be a bathroom. After about a minute or so, he came back out, rubbing his eyes and blinking quickly. You watched, flabbergasted, as a single tear worked its way down his cheek. 

“Um… Are you ok?”

“Oh, of course,” he responded, wiping the moisture from his eyes and turning to you. You gasped as blue eyes met yours, and you could do nothing to hide the look of awe from your face. “These things always burn the first few minutes they’re in.”

It took you a second to process what he meant, but you eventually found an explanation - he was wearing contacts. Even though you knew that it was foolish, you felt a twinge of disappointment. Underneath their surface, those yellow eyes still remained. It was a shame, you thought. His eyes looked lovely with their natural color. 

Shaking your head, you snapped out of the trance you’d gone into. From the smug look on his face, though, Kenobi had noticed, and he sauntered closer to you, smirking and leaning over your chair. 

“You like my eyes like this?” he questioned. Trying to stop the erratic beating of your heart, you swallowed before you spoke. 

“I don’t like anything about you,” you insisted weakly. As you were looking over his face, though, you knew that that wasn’t entirely true. You blamed it on the contacts; they just made it too easy to forget what he was. 

“I think you’re lying, (Y/N),” he replied in an almost sing-song tone. He leaned in closer, and you could feel his warm breath fan out over your face, causing your eyes to flutter close. 

You expected once more to feel his soft lips against yours, but instead they were placed on your forehead, giving you a chaste kiss before pulling away with a wicked grin. 

“I’ll see you soon, love,” he called over his shoulder, grabbing a satchel and heading out the door, leaving your head spinning. 

___________

“Face it, master,” Ahsoka sighed, setting one hand on her hip. “No one fitting Kenobi’s description has been seen here.”

“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been here,” Anakin insisted, weaving his way through the crowded marketplace. For the first few hours that they’d been there, neither of them had sensed that anything was off. They’d searched the entire market for a ship that looked like Valor’s, and they’d asked the local merchants if they’d seen a man in black robes with yellow eyes and reddish-blonde hair. So far, though, they’d had no such luck. 

However, for the past 45 minutes or so, Anakin had felt...something. At first, it had just been a faint, barely-there twinge, accompanied by an almost empty feeling in the force. It was as if there was a spot within the force that just wasn’t there, like a pothole in an otherwise unblemished road. And, as far as the twinge went, it was so subtle that, at first, he’d thought he’d just been picking up on Ahsoka’s familiar force signature as she walked beside him. He quickly dismissed that thought, though. This presence didn’t belong to his padawan. 

“We might as well check the loading docks one more time,” he conceded. “If there still are no familiar ships there, we’ll message the council and tell them we’d better look somewhere else.” 

“Sounds like a plan, master,” Ahsoka replied, a small smile coming to her face. Although she wasn’t consciously aware of it, she was picking up on the “pothole”, too, and it made her want to run far away from that planet. But she just wrote this feeling off as anxiety; after all, she wanted to find you almost as much as Anakin did. While you weren’t her mentor, she still looked up to you, and she knew that you made Anakin happy. 

As they headed towards the docks, Anakin’s mind was working furiously to make out what presence he was sensing. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, and his head was bowed as he focussed, so he was surprised when a gasp sounded from beside him. 

“Master!” his padawan exclaimed, reaching out to grab his shoulder. “The ship!”

Anakin’s head shot up, and he saw with wide eyes that she was right; the ship they were looking for was right there. And, along with the ship, the presence he was sensing grew a bit stronger as they took more and more steps towards it. It was still incredibly weak, as if it were being suppressed by something, but he was soon able to decipher what it was with a sharp gasp. 

“(Y/N),” he breathed, a slow smile working its way over his features. “Snips, (Y/N) is in that ship!” 

With that, he took off running, ignoring the grumbles from the passerby as he darted up ramps and through crowds until he was standing before the ship. Using the force, he quickly opened its doors, not caring about what might be waiting on their other side despite the cries of warning from his padawan as she ran after him. 

You looked up upon hearing the doors opening, wondering if Obi-Wan had finished his shopping so soon. However, when you looked up, the sight that met your eyes caused you to jump out of your chair, straining against the cuffs. 

“Anakin!” you cried, a disbelieving smile spreading across your cheeks. “Anakin, is that really you?”

“Sis!” he exclaimed, running in. You felt his strong arms wrap around you, and you leaned into his embrace, unable to truly return it with your hands still bound behind your back. “Oh, stars, I’m so glad we found you.”

After another second, he let you go, and you watched as Ahsoka came jogging up, wearing a smile of her own. 

“Oh, force, it’s good to see you both,” you sighed, feeling a wave of relief and safety wash over you. You’d finally been found! 

“Are you ok?” Ahsoka asked, looking you over for any injuries. 

“No,” you answered, shaking your head. “Valor hasn’t hurt me. But he’ll be coming back any minute. Get me out of these cuffs and-”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Chosen One and his young padawan learner. What an honor to have you in my ship.”

You felt your blood run cold upon hearing Kenobi’s voice, and you looked up in terror. Several large crates were cradled in his hands, but he set them down on the bed quickly, reaching into his civilian clothing to retrieve his lightsaber. 

“You’re under arrest,” Anakin growled, stepping between you and the Sith. “And we’re taking (Y/N) home.”

“How ambitious of you,” Obi-Wan sneered, crimson blade roaring to life. His eyes were still distorted by the contacts, but their blue coloring did nothing to soften the predatory look he was sending your friends. 

Blue and green sabers appeared in Anakin and Ahsoka’s hands, respectively, and all three of them dropped into a fighting stance. You pulled against your restraints, not paying attention when the skin of your wrists broke, and you cried out. 

“Stop, please!” you shouted, eyes locked onto Kenobi as his body tensed, ready to attack. You’d already seen him kill one of your friends; you couldn’t bare to watch him kill another. You weren’t quite as worried when it came to Anakin; he was one of the most powerful Jedi you’d ever met, and you had no doubt that he could hold his own in a fight, even against a Sith. But Ahsoka… She was just so young. 

“Stay out of this, sweet one,” Valor purred, voice deceptively calm. “This will only take a second.”

“Oh, will it, now?” Anakin challenged. “We’ll see about that.” 

Swiftly, the Jedi rushed forward, swinging his blade in a cerulean arc as his padawan stepped in on the Sith’s other side, attacking him from two angles. Just as he had during his fight with you and Qui-Gon, though, the Sith responded in kind, red saber flying through the air at a pace too quick for your eyes to track. You kept pulling at your restraints futily, heart fluttering anxiously in your chest as you watched the fight. You had to do something, anything, to protect your friends. But, in your position, you really couldn’t do anything. 

With growing dread rising in your heart, you watched as Kenobi returned all of their blows in kind, and you realized with horror that he was sending his stronger attacks towards Ahsoka, knowing that she was the weakest link in the fight. You ground your teeth together as you watched her grow weaker, trying to keep up with Kenobi but simply lacking the skills needed to. She was able to hold her own for several minutes, but after a while, Valor got the best of her. 

Ducking to swipe her saber across his legs, Ahsoka rolled forward, but Kenobi’s sharp eyes caught the movement at just the last moment. Grunting, he twisted around, blocking one of Anakin’s attacks and swinging his saber downwards, effectively chopping Ahsoka’s hilt in half, just barely missing her fingers. The padawan gave a cry as she watched her weapon be destroyed, and she didn’t see when one of Kenobi’s hands came up to send a wave of the force her way. She only felt a tight presence around her neck, and suddenly she was in the air, unable to breathe. 

“No!” Anakin shouted, lunging towards Kenobi. The Sith blocked his blow, though, and growled at him as he held his blade against the Jedi’s, crimson meeting blue in a deadlock. 

“If you make any sudden movements, I will crush her windpipe,” Valor vowed, voice low and threatening. You’d never heard such a tone from him before, and it sent goosebumps down your arms; you knew that he meant what he said. Your eyes met Ahsoka’s tear-filled ones, mouth opened in horror as she struggled for breath, clawing at the invisible hand around her throat. 

“Please,” you heard yourself shout, drawing the attention of the three people before you. “Please, let them go.”

“Oh, I would love nothing more than to send your ‘friends’ on their merry way,” he replied, tone cool and biting. He turned his eyes back to Anakin. 

“You, oh Chosen One,” he spat, “have a choice to make. You can either watch me kill your padawan and then, inevitably, you, or you can collect yourself and let me leave in peace, without any further disputes.” 

“And let you take (Y/N) away to do force-knows what?” your friend growled. You could see the anguish in his eyes at the decision he was faced with, and you didn’t need to read his mind to know what he was contemplating. Did he save you, his best friend, and potentially kill the Sith who’d kidnapped you, or did he save his padawan? Your heart ached for him, and you steeled your voice as you called out his name, trying to control the tears that threatened to spill. 

“Anakin,” you called out, bringing his eyes to yours once more. “Anakin, I’ll be fine. Save Ahsoka. Please.” 

“But… (Y/N)...” he said, voice tight with anger and helplessness. You tried to send him a reassuring smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. 

“Anakin,” you sighed, “I’ll be fine, ok? I promise. Please.” You felt a tear run down your cheek; you’d truly thought that you’d been rescued. And yet here you were, begging your friend to let Kenobi keep you. 

“I love you, Anakin,” you declared, causing the Sith’s eyes to widen. A small part of you was amused by the change in his expression; you did love Anakin deeply, but not as anything more than a brother. You both knew this, and Anakin managed a small smile as he looked over your face, as if to memorize it. 

“I love you, too,” he murmured. “And I will find you; I promise.” 

With that, he stepped away from Kenobi and deactivated his lightsaber, dropping it and holding his hands up, jaw tight as he clenched his teeth. 

“Let my padawan go,” he demanded, a look of pure hatred clouding his expression as he looked at Valor. Smirking, the Sith let the girl go, watching with disinterest as she slumped to the floor, clutching her throat and gasping. Anakin knelt down to assist her, but Kenobi surprised them with a wave of energy, using the force to push them out of the still-open ramp of the ship. 

Watching them struggle to get up and right themselves, the Sith called out one more message of warning before closing the door. 

“Do not pursue me again,” he growled before turning away, the machinery of the ship creaking as he turned towards the cockpit. You kept your eyes on your friends, watching them until they were cut off from your sight, feeling your last shreds of hope disintegrate. 

____________

Anakin knelt by his padawan, supporting her with an arm around her waist and encouraging her to take shallow breaths. It killed him to watch Valor’s ship fade off into the distance, knowing that you were chained up inside. But not all was lost. 

“R2?” he called into his commlink, hearing an answering whistle after a few short moments. “I want you to follow that ship I was just on and map out its trajectory, ok? Track its movements until it’s too far for your sensors and tell me which systems it’s heading towards.” 

The droid sent a message of understanding, and Anakin let out a huff. He might not have rescued you that day, but there was still hope. If he could narrow down which direction Kenobi was headed in, then he had a chance of tracking down which planet you were being held on. 

“I’m sorry, master,” his padawan wheezed, drawing his gaze back to her. He managed a small, tight smile, and he patted her shoulder encouragingly. 

“Don’t worry, Snips,” he reassured gently. “It’ll be ok. Even if Kenobi won this battle, I have a good feeling that we’ll win the war.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters?? In one day?? Yes, my dear readers, it is I once more! I just couldn't get this idea out of my mind, so I finally caved and spent a good hour and a half at my keyboard typing this up. I hope y'all enjoy it! As always, leave me a comment if you like it or if you have any questions/advice concerning the story.

Kenobi didn’t come out of the cockpit until a half hour later, when you two had exited not only that planet’s atmosphere, but its entire system as well. After turning the autopilot on, he came sauntering out to you, expression so dark that you gulped as he stepped closer. 

Pulling a chair up, he set it down in front of you before sitting in it, leaning towards you and resting his elbows on his knees. You swallowed, taking in his expression, finding yourself actually unsettled by the blue in his eyes. At first, it was a welcome distraction from their gold coloration, but now that you knew that an almost righteous anger stewed beneath their surface, the blue only emphasized the fact that you had no idea what was going on inside his brain, no inkling of what he was capable of in that moment. You had no idea what he was going to do, but you felt yourself tensing in anticipation when he opened his mouth to speak. 

“Did you contact the Jedi?” he asked in a quiet voice, deceptively calm as he watched your expression. 

“No,” you answered in a surprisingly even vtone. “You have me cuffed. How could I have-”

He held up one palm, stopping you as effectively as a bullet from speaking. 

“That’s quite enough, Master (Y/L/N),” he remarked. You winced as he referred to you by your title as a Jedi, knowing that he must be very displeased indeed. 

“I want you to tell me what happened,” he stated, a small muscle in his temple twitching sporadically. 

“I was waiting for you to get back,” you explained honestly, “when Anakin broke in.” You saw his jaw clench upon hearing your friend’s name, but you kept going. “They were going to free me, but then you came back.” 

“That is all?”

“Yes.”

Bowing his head, he nodded and looked down at the floor that rested between you. 

“So,” he sighed, clenching his fists, “For all the things you’ve said about the Code, how it’s possible to live by it, how it benefits the Jedi, you were a hypocrite all along.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he growled, “that you ‘love’ that brat that we found sniveling in the sand of Tatooine.” Across the room, a light started flickering, and you gulped when you realized that his anger was sending tremors through the force. No doubt, it would have knocked you over if your connection to it hadn’t been cut off by your restraints. 

“I should have known,” he chuckled darkly, finally looking up to meet your gaze. “I should have known that that boy would take you from me. After all, he’s taken everything else.”

You frowned at this, feeling a wave of protectiveness well up inside you for your friend. 

“Anakin has never done any-”

You were cut off when you saw his fist come flying down towards you, striking the wall just an inch to the left from your head, and you let out a tiny sound of distress at the sudden movement. 

“Do not,” he commanded, leaning over you, “speak his name in my presence ever again.”

Letting out a shaky breath, you nodded quickly. You tried to stand from your chair, to put more distance between you two, but he only followed the motion, pressing you up against the wall. You winced as the cuffs dug into the broken skin of your wrists, but he didn’t pay any attention to this as he continued to speak in a low tone. 

“First he stole my master from me. Next, I’m the first person in hundreds of years to kill a Sith, but even that feat is dulled by the knowledge that “The Chosen One” has been found. My current master, who has shown me everything there is to know about the dark side, is only using me to get to the boy, and now you, the only person I’ve ever allowed myself to truly want, belongs to him as well. Don’t you fucking DARE,” he suddenly shouted, slamming his fist against the wall once more, “say that he’s done nothing to me!” 

You felt your eyes squeeze shut as he shouted, curling back against the wall as if in anticipation for him to hit you. No pain came after several seconds, however, and you opened your eyes to see him leaning over you, anger still written across his face, but now accompanied by a sadness so profound that you felt as if the breath had been knocked out of you upon seeing it. 

“But I suppose that’s not entirely his fault,” he murmured. Suddenly, a look of exhaustion washed over his face, and he leaned his forehead against your shoulder, slumping against you. “I’m completely monstrous to you, aren’t I? Even if Skywalker didn’t hold your heart, it would never be mine…” 

Your whole body stiffened, shocked at what he was saying and doing, and you couldn’t move for a long time, just standing there, feeling his warm breath against you. He was close, closer than he’d ever been, and a part of you still wanted nothing more than to push him away. But a small voice in your head told you not to. His voice had sounded so broken, so weak, so different from the confident tone it usually held as he addressed you. It was disturbing, to say the least, to see someone so powerful brought to such a state just from the belief that you loved another. 

Clearing your throat, you sighed deeply before speaking. 

“I do love An- Master Skywalker,” you said, remembering how Anakin’s name had set him off earlier. “He holds a very large part of my heart, and you’re right; I have broken the Code by forming an attachment to him.”

Snorting, Obi-Wan raised his head up to glare down at you. 

“There is no reason to rub in the fact that-”

“But,” you interrupted, staring into his eyes. “I’m not in love with him. He’s like a brother to me, Obi-Wan. Nothing more, nothing less. He has been ever since he was a little boy just starting his training in the temple.”

A confused look passed over Valor’s face as he contemplated what you were saying, and you could almost see the gears turning in his head as he studied your expression. 

“...So… When you said you “love” him…”

“It’s completely platonic,” you explained. “Besides, I’m pretty sure he’s in love with a Senator.”

You watched as a more neutral look claimed the Sith’s face, followed by a small smile that stretched his lips. 

“Oh,” he said simply, his whole body relaxing slightly. 

“That doesn’t mean that my heart will ever belong to you,” you added weakly. 

You hated to admit it, but you were glad to see him placated; seeing him so upset had gotten to you for some reason, and you had a feeling it wasn’t just because you feared for your own safety when he was lashing out. It felt fundamentally wrong for Obi-Wan to be distressed, and you felt as if you couldn’t breathe when you thought of the tears you’d seen in his eyes. 

“We’ll just have to see about that,” he murmured softly in response. Slowly, he reached up to run his fingers through your hair, and you allowed the contact warily, feeling his touch become bolder and more sure of itself when you didn’t try to push him away. 

“Well,” he sighed, keeping that hand in your hair, “I… I apologize for lashing out the way I did. I let my emotions control me, and I shouldn’t have scared you.”

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, but you simply nodded your head, carefully thinking about your response.

“...I forgive you,” you said softly, causing an even wider smile to grace his features. With that, he produced a key from one of his pockets and reached behind you to unlatch your cuffs, and you let out a heavy sigh of relief as they fell off. Drawing your hands to the front of your body, you flinched when you saw the blood that showed where your skin had worn away during your struggles during the earlier fight. 

“Oh, dear,” Kenobi sighed, gently taking one of your hands in his. “Oh, I’m so sorry. That must be quite painful. Come with me.”

With that, he led you towards the ship’s bathroom, pulling out a first aid kit from the medicine cabinet. He motioned for you to sit on the closed toilet lid, and you did so, watching as he kneeled in front of you. 

“This might sting, sweet one,” he warned. With that, he started spraying some bacta onto your wounds, and you ground your teeth to keep from trying to rip your hands away from him.

“Alright, love, you’re almost done,” he whispered, pulling out some gauze next. Carefully, he wrapped both wrists, leaving you with two white bandages encircling each. 

“Better?” he asked. 

“Much,” you replied, standing up once more. “Thank you.”

He smiled and nodded before grabbing a container that rested on the edge of the sink, and you watched as he quickly took out his contact lenses, turning to you when he was done. You let out a small sigh upon seeing the familiar yellow of his irised, and you realized with a start that you’d actually missed them. Internally, you screamed at yourself for this. You weren’t supposed to like his eyes! They were a symbol of his being one with the Dark Side! And yet you found yourself unable to look away from them. 

Valor didn’t seem to mind, however, as a wide, knowing grin parted his lips. Your heart felt fluttery once more as he leaned towards you, and, for some reason, you couldn’t find it in your heart to lean away. 

His lips felt just like you remembered as he pressed them to yours gently, and you felt your hands ball into fists at your side as your eyes closed. Something dark that resided in the back of your mind sang, telling you that, yes, this was right and good and yes, of course, you should kiss the Sith back. And so you did. 

Pressing your lips against his, you let out a sigh through your nose, giving in to that tiny part of you. ‘This isn’t so bad,’ you thought to yourself. ‘This feels nice. And soft. And warm.’ 

After a few seconds, you felt something wet drift over your bottom lip, and you realized with a start that it was his tongue. A gasp parted your lips, and that was all he needed before licking into your mouth, stroking over your teeth and tongue with his, exploring everything you were willing to give him. You let out a breathy, quiet moan at the foreign feeling, which elicited a deeper, more guttural groan from the man pressed against you.

It was this sound that brought you back to your senses, and your head snapped back with a start, causing you to stumble backwards and almost fall into the shower that lay behind you.

“What the-” you exclaimed, smacking a hand over your mouth with a growing sense of horror over what you’d just done. An hour ago, your friends had just tried to rescue you from this man! He’d almost killed one of them, not to mention the fact that he had killed Master Jinn! You felt sick to your stomach as you berated yourself, all as the Sith in question stared at you with a wide smirk. 

“That was lovely, (Y/N),” he said. “Thank you for allowing me the privilege of kissing you. I’m sure right now you’re regretting that decision-”

“Understatement. Of the century.” 

“...but trust that I promise not to impose myself upon you despite it,” he chuckled. “Now, before you lock yourself in here to get away from me, would you allow me to show you what I got for you today?”

Warily, you nodded your head, and he gestured for you to follow him out of the bathroom and towards the crates he’d been carrying when he’d first arrived back on the ship. Reaching into one, he produced a large bag made out of canvas, and he handed it to you with a smile. 

“I thought that you’d appreciate some clothes of your own,” he explained. Looking inside, you were pleased to find that you’d no longer have to borrow Kenobi’s clothes, as inside lay several pairs of shirts, pants, and (you blushed as you realized), undergarments. You couldn’t help but notice that everything was black, as opposed to the browns, tans, and whites the temple had provided you with, but you didn’t complain, only muttering a small “thank you”. 

“You’re very welcome,” he replied, taking out another bag. “Also, since I thought you could use some entertainment when we’re not training…”

He handed you the next bag, which held within it some books and a chess set. You felt a small smile tug at the corner of your lips as you reached in, picking up one of the books and reading the back of it, discovering it to be a collection of short stories. 

“Thank you,” you murmured, setting it back into the bag. 

“Again, you’re welcome,” he replied. “I got the chess set on a whim. I didn’t know if you know how to play or not, but I thought that I could always teach you if you didn’t.” 

You nodded, glancing back up to him nervously. 

“I shouldn’t have kissed you back,” you blurted out, causing your cheeks to be stained with yet another blush. Instead of teasing you, though, Obi-Wan just offered you a small smile and shrugged. 

“Well, you know that I disagree with that statement,” he replied evenly. “But I’m aware of how deeply entrenched your feelings towards the Sith are. So I’ll simply advise you not to feel too guilty about it. And I promise that I’ll act as if it never happened, if that would make you feel better.”

“...Yes, please,” you responded in a quiet voice. 

“Alright, then,” he smiled. He held out a hand and arched an eyebrow at you. “It’s a deal.”

With that, you pressed your palm to his, and his fingers curled over your smaller hand as he shook it a few times. What you didn’t know is that, despite the fact that he would pretend it never happened, that kiss would be all he thought about for a long, long time.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, guys, so I had a lot of doubts about this chapter, which is why it took so long for me to update. Please let me know if you didn't like what I did with it, or if there's anything you like or think I could work on. As always, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!

The next week, surprisingly, was less tense, despite the fight and kiss. You and Obi-Wan fell back into a daily routine of training, now with the addition of chess. He always won, of course, but you were improving on your strategy skills thanks to his efforts to teach you. 

It was actually kind of...nice, if you were being honest with yourself. It seemed like the kiss had struck a nerve with Valor, and he made it a point to make less sexual, flirtatious remarks to you. (The alarming thing was, though, that a small part of you missed the flirting. You were always quick to quiet that tiny voice in the back of your head that told you to kiss him again, though.) You were also more resigned to your fate of being stuck with him after your failed chance at escape, so you were allowing yourself to relax in his company. 

A small part of you was still on edge, though. Kenobi had given away more information than he was aware of during your stay; for instance, he mentioned during your fight that his master was only using him to get to Anakin, a revelation that chilled you to the core. You knew that it was only a matter of time before something evil tried to exploit the power of “The Chosen One”, but it still unnerved you to think of a Sith more powerful than Valor going after your little brother. 

Along with this, you still didn’t know why you were a prisoner to begin with. It wasn’t like Kenobi to just keep you as some plaything. He wanted something from you, and he was waiting very patiently to get it. A part of you feared, though, that it had something to do with your training. 

Over the past few weeks, he’d incorporated little tidbits of advice or knowledge into his teachings that stood out as distinctly Sith. For example, when going over your telekinetic powers, he’d taught you a method of harnessing the force that had surprisingly helped you a lot, opening and channeling your connection to it in a way that made it possible to hold heavy objects aloft in the air for longer periods of time. It was only after you’d grown comfortable using this skill, however, that he chose to mention the fact that it had first been developed by a Sith Lord of long ago and had, subsequently, been passed on to the preceding generations of the Sith. Needless to say, you’d stopped using that method since learning that, despite how effective it was. 

You were growing stronger in the force, but only because of Obi-Wan’s teachings, and you had to continuously remind yourself not to trust them, even if they did improve your skills. And thus, after the second month of being Kenobi’s prisoner, you were completely exhausted from fighting against the growing internal urge to just let go and trust Valor. 

However, that would quickly change. 

____________

“(Y/N)?”

You looked up from your book upon hearing your captor’s voice call out from the training room. Getting up, you walked over to find him staring down at a comm that you hadn’t even known he owned, carding his fingers through his beard anxiously. 

“Yes?” you prompted, stepping through the doorway. 

“I...have something to tell you,” he sighed, glancing up from the floor to meet your gaze. “And I would very much appreciate it if you didn’t become too alarmed when I say what I have to say.”

Feeling a sense of unease welling up in your chest, you simply nodded, crossing your arms and bracing yourself for whatever was coming next. 

“My master is coming here,” he murmured, causing your whole body to tense up. 

“When?” you asked. It was clear in your voice that this new knowledge unnerved you, and Obi-Wan stepped forward. 

“Later this evening,” he replied. “I’m so sorry, sweet one. I didn’t know, or else I would have told you sooner.”

“Why is he coming here?” you asked, shifting your feet nervously. The Sith sensed your discomfort and hesitantly set a hand on your shoulder, movements slow and steady so as not to alarm you. 

“I promise that I won’t let him do anything to you,” he assured you, and you let out a breath you hadn’t been aware you were holding. “He is curious about you, though. But he just wants to talk. And he’s also coming to collect the plans that I took from the temple.”

“Plans?” you questioned, eyes furrowed as you met Obi-Wan’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

With a small smile, he let his hand fall from your shoulder to his side. 

“I did lead an attack on the temple for a reason, you know,” he confessed. “I didn’t go there with the intention of taking you with me; I originally went to steal information.”

Taking a step back, you gulped and felt a familiar swell of anger within you. You’d known that something like this had happened; he was right, after all. He had had a reason to go to the temple that day. But it still felt like a betrayal to hear him say that. 

“Oh,” was all you could say. 

You noticed how his eyes followed your movements, wide with a hint of remorse, you suspected from your disappointment in him. You sighed heavily and rubbed your forehead, feeling a headache coming on. 

“I’m...going to take a shower,” you murmured, walking past him. You didn’t turn around to look back at him before heading to the bedroom to collect a change of clothes, walking to the bathroom afterwards and locking its door behind you. 

After stripping and stepping in under the warm spray, you sank down to the shower floor and pressed your forehead against your knees. Why did you feel so hurt by Valor stealing Jedi information? You knew he was a Sith, and you knew that he hated the Jedi, so why were you so shocked at his actions? 

With a sick feeling, you realized that it was because you were growing to like him. You were paying attention to what he was teaching you, and you were getting to know him as a person rather than your enemy. You knew that he was quite sassy, but that was how he joked with people, and he was able to make you laugh more and more frequently as time went by. He enjoyed reading in his spare time, often those novels on Sith history that you avoided at all costs, and he was quite good at debating. Sometimes, if you were in the mood, you would ask him more questions about why the dark side had appealed to him, and you’d soon find yourself talking with him in a civilized manner over something that you used to be too disgusted with to even think about. 

Standing up once more, you leaned heavily against the wall as you thought about this. Your exposure to the Sith had made you less hostile towards the dark side as a whole, and your stomach turned at the thought of becoming complacent with something that the Jedi had taught you to hate. What had gotten into you? 

After washing off briskly, you redressed and walked back out into the main area, still turning this over in your mind. Your master had never really explained why the dark side was so bad. He’d only ever said that its users were murderers and that it led to chaos, but other than that, the dark side was a mystery to you. What was it that made it so evil? 

Absentmindedly, you’d started to drift closer to the bookshelf, and your eyes started scanning the spines of its contents of their own accord. Maybe, if you learned about the dark side, studied it, you would become more convinced that it was wrong, snapping you out of whatever Valor had done to your senses. 

Picking up a tome, you walked to the couch and sat on it cross-legged, opening to its title page. “Fundamentals of the Dark Side of the Force” it read. Shrugging, you opened to the first page and skimmed over its contents, looking for something that would rekindle your fierce admiration for the light side. 

Before you knew it, it was an hour and a half later, and you’d already read a good chunk of the book. It spoke of utilizing the user’s feelings to call to their connection with the force, and you found yourself more intrigued than anything. It was so different from anything you’d ever been taught. Rather than teach you to force down and suppress your emotions, this suggested that you simply control and use them to connect more freely to the force. 

There was nothing in the tome that said you had to use anger or vengeance as motivators, and it didn’t encourage chaotic displays of unbridled power. You hated to admit it, but it sounded...reasonable, to you. 

“An interesting choice,” you heard Kenobi say, and you turned around to see him glancing down at the book over your shoulder. “I thought you were avoiding learning about the big bad dark side?”

You rolled your eyes and turned back to the book, noting the page number you were on before closing it. 

“Leave me alone,” you sighed, standing up to place it back on the bookshelf. “You said it yourself; learning about the dark side isn’t going to convert me over to it.”

There was a curious gleam in Kenobi’s eyes, like he wanted to push this issue further, but he must have sensed your unwillingness to discuss it, because he simply nodded and leaned on the back of the couch. 

“My master is going to get here sooner than I thought,” he informed you. “I thought that I would just...tell you a bit of what to expect before he arrives. 

“Alright,” you nodded, crossing your arms and looking nervously at him. 

“First of all, he’s extremely powerful, so his force-signature may be a bit...overbearing,” he warned. “It’ll hurt your head at first, but don’t worry. He’s not trying to read your thoughts when this happens. Secondly, it’s probably best to not antagonize him. He won’t hurt you; he knows I’ll protect you. But he still will not stand for any disrespect, so keep the sass to a minimum.”

You opened your mouth to protest, to tell him that you weren’t going to feign respect for a creature who you had none for, but you decided against it and just bowed your head once more. 

“I get it,” you sighed, raking a hand through your hair. “He’s really strong and I shouldn’t fuck with him.”

“Basically,” Kenobi affirmed, the hint of a laugh in his tone. He looked back to the book you’d been reading and spoke cautiously, so as not to set you off. “I didn’t realize you were interested in learning more about the dark side.”

You felt like telling him to mind his own business, that you still weren’t interested in his Sith teachings, but you took a deep breath and nodded, looking down at your hands. 

“I thought what I read would...disgust me. Or...or scare me away from it,” you explained. “And while I still don’t know much about the Sith, and I’m not interested in studying the dark side, I have to admit that it was...different from what I was expecting.”

You saw a bright spark light up behind Obi-Wan’s eyes, and an almost pure, joyous look crossed his features for the briefest of seconds. But it was quickly replaced with a strictly polite look of interest and mild excitement, and he took a step towards you. 

“Surprised it didn’t say anything about bathing in the blood of your enemies and slaughtering without forethought?” he teased. “The dark side isn’t evil, (Y/N). Just...passionate.”

He cautiously reached a hand out and let his finger trace over your cheekbone, smiling kindly. 

“You know, if you ever have any other questions-”

His offer was cut off suddenly as his head snapped up and his hand dropped, and you watched as his whole posture became rigid. The smile fell from his face and he took a step back, and you were about to ask what was wrong until you felt it. 

From somewhere closeby, there seemed to emanate wave after crushing wave of power and darkness, rolling off some unseen source in a way that had your heart quickening and hands clenching into fists. You threw your mental shields up, unaware that they had even fallen in the first place, but it did nothing to fight the torrential wave of energy that was roiling through the force. 

You felt a dull pounding start in your head, and Valor shot you an apologetic glance. 

“This discussion will have to wait until another time,” he fretted. 

“My master has arrived.”


	13. Chapter 13

It felt as if there was a tiny, determined man behind your eyes, doing everything in his power to break out of your skull. You were shocked at just how dense the Sith Lord’s force-signature was; Anakin was the most powerful force-user you’d ever come across, and not even his presence was this engulfing. 

After he’d first sensed his master, Valor had asked you to wait in the training room, and you’d gladly acquiesced. You wanted nothing to do with this “Darth Sidious”, or so Kenobi had called him, and you were more than willing to wait in that room forever if it meant not having to actually converse with the evil being. 

You heard muffled voices from outside the door, and you debated whether or not to come closer in order to listen to what was being said. You decided against it, however; you hated to admit it, but you were scared out of your senses, and you didn’t want to face the Sith’s wrath if he happened to discover you eavesdropping. 

As you waited, huddled in the corner, you felt your mind grow at least marginally more comfortable in the dark presence of Sidious. It was still uncomfortable, but it no longer hurt to think, and you found yourself comparing the two force-signatures that waited outside the door. 

Obi-Wan’s had grown familiar to you over the course of your stay. It was only a little over two months since you two had met, but constant contact with him and only him had taken its tole. Within the force, he shone like a beacon of bright orange - warm, familiar, almost inviting. 

However, if Valor was like a beacon within the force, Sidious was like an uncontrolled wildfire, tearing through the force rampantly and without mercy. It blinded those who came across it, and you wondered how much shielding the man had to have over his mind in order to not be discovered. Even younglings would be able to sense his presence in just a matter of seconds. 

You were pulled from your musings when the door creaked open, and you scrambled to your feet, trying not to cower back against the wall behind you as a hooded figure came gliding into the room. He was followed closely by an exasperated-looking Obi-Wan, who kept his eyes trained on you as he walked in, shooting you a small, almost-reassuring smile. You inclined your head in response, not quite able to manage a smile but still wanting to let him know that you were ok. 

“Young Master (Y/L/N),” Sidious enunciated, voice as slick and slimy as oil. It made you shiver just at the sound of it, and you gulped before responding shakily. 

“Y-yes,” you murmured, forcing yourself to keep your eyes on the man as he walked closer. 

“My apprentice has told me much about you,” he said, standing in your personal space. You couldn't see his features from behind his black hood, but you shivered as you thought about his eyes on you, and you shifted nervously on your feet. 

“He says you’ve been growing in strength since the beginning of your training,” he continued. “I’m simply thrilled to hear of your progress.”

A cold touch ran down your spine and you heard your voice sound out before fully processing what you were saying. 

“What do you want from me?” you demanded, causing Kenobi to wince from behind his master. Sidious gave no sign of annoyance, however, and he simply smiled cooly at you. 

“All in good time, Miss (Y/N). All in good time,” he intoned. “For now, I want you to focus on your training.”

You shook your head, horrified. 

“I will never become like you,” you declared quietly. “I will never turn to the dark side.”

A harsh laugh sounded from the man, and you shrank back as you felt tiny tendrils of the force licking over your consciousness. You felt some of his influence slip past your mental shields, and you cried out, gripping your head. 

“Get out of my mind!” you commanded, backing up closer to the wall. After hearing this, the Sith finally relented, removing his phantom touch and leaving you slumped over. 

“You say that you will not give in to the dark,” he smirked, pointing a wrinkled finger at your chest, “but there is already a shadow over your heart. You may deny its existence, but it is there. It was there long before Darth Valor started training you, and it has only grown stronger with your time away from the Jedi. Like it or not, Master (Y/L/N), you’re already like me.”

With that, the hooded figure turned away, focussing on Valor. 

“Continue with her training. I shall check back in after a few more months. For now, stay hidden. I don’t need the Jedi poking around and getting curious before my plans are carried out,” Sidious commanded. 

“Yes, my master,” Kenobi replied, bowing his head. With that, the Sith Lord nodded and left the room in a swirl of black, heading out towards his ship. 

You felt his presence get more and more distant as his ship left the atmosphere, and you let yourself sink to the floor, feeling suddenly overwhelmed and exhausted from the whole ordeal. Slowly, Obi-Wan took a step towards you, but you held up a hand, stopping him. 

“No,” you said, shrinking away. “Don’t touch me.” You could see that your words hurt him, and you felt a surge of anger flare up within you. You felt dirty, as if you were covered in a thin layer of grime from the Sith’s intrusion into your mind, and you felt tears start to well up in your eyes for the first time in...well, for the first time that you could remember. 

“(Y/N), I-”

“No,” you interrupted, shaking your head. “No. I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired of being manipulated by you.” Standing up, you suddenly felt an all-encompassing need to be away from him, to be alone so you could curl up and block out the world. Pushing past him, you walked towards the door, but his fingers curled around your wrist before you could leave. 

“Please, (Y/N), I didn’t-”

“Stop!” you yelled, flinging his hand away. A chair across the room fell over suddenly, but you didn’t take notice, unable to process anything but your anger and sorrow. 

“It wasn’t enough for you to kidnap me and keep me here with you, away from my friends and my life, but then you had to make me believe that you actually care!” you raged, barely registering the tears flowing down your cheeks. “You force me to train with you, and you make me believe that you have feelings for me, when all it is is you manipulating me, trying to get me to turn to the dark side because your master wants you to. You watched him violate me like that, looking into my head no matter how hard I tried to fight against him, and then you promise to keep pulling me towards the darkness that I’m trying so damn hard to fight against! Leave me the fuck alone!” 

With that, the chest in the corner that held your training sabers suddenly cracked and splintered, splitting in two as a surge of energy was released from you, almost knocking Kenobi over. Shocked, you looked down at your hands, suddenly realizing what had just happened. 

In your anger, you’d unleashed your emotions into the force, sending out a wave of energy more powerful than anything you’d ever felt from yourself. Horrified, you backed up a step, feeling a wave of panic rise up in you. No Jedi would do what you’d just done. 

“(Y/N),” Kenobi tried once more, holding out a hand as if to comfort a wounded animal. You shook your head and backed up another step, covering your mouth with your hands. 

“No…” you murmured. “Just… No.” 

With that, you turned and fled towards the bedroom, closing the door behind you and locking it, even though you knew nothing would keep Valor out if he really wanted to come in. Heaving a heavy sigh, you climbed into bed, covering yourself in the heavy sheets and furs that you’d grown so comfortable in, and closed your eyes. 

You forced your mind to go blank as you felt yourself drifting off, trying not to think of the fearsome Sith you’d encountered that day or the devastated look that had been in Obi-Wan’s eyes as you screamed at him. 

____________

Sidious was standing over Anakin as he kneeled in a thick pile of ashes, red saber pressed against the Jedi’s chin. The Sith Lord was cackling loudly, leaning over your friend and forcing him to look up. 

“You’re mine now, Chosen One,” he spat, and you watched in horror as Anakin’s bright blue eyes started to fade, turning a sickly shade of neon green before settling into a deep yellow. The tears that had been dripping down his cheeks slowly tapered off, and his cracked lips twisted up into a sadistic grin. Standing, his head turned towards you, and he reached for the saber clipped to his belt, igniting it and laughing in delight at its crimson glow. 

“Hey, sis,” he drawled, voice deeper and laced with contempt. “Why didn’t you protect me from him? Why did you let me fall?”

“No,” you whispered, backing away as Anakin stepped closer. “No, please, Anakin. This isn’t you.”

“But it is…”came a voice from behind you. Turning around, you saw Kenobi standing there, grinning at you coldly. “It is him, sweet one. His true self.”

Stepping forward, Valor cupped your cheek and forced you to look up at him. 

“You could join us,” he murmured, running his fingers through your hair slowly. “You could be so beautiful.” 

Slowly, you watched as his facial features seemed to melt, and you screamed as his face was replaced with one that held no resemblance to his handsome features. The hand on your cheek became withered, and the skin around his face was wrinkled and deformed into something horrendous, and no matter how much you struggled, you couldn’t break free from his iron grip. 

“Sorry, sis,” Anakin’s voice came from behind you. “But this has to be done.” 

With that, you felt a searing, white-hot pain bloom through your abdomen, and you looked down to see yourself being impaled through the middle by what was once your little brother…

The last sound you heard before surrendering to the darkness was your own scream echoing through your ears. 

________

“(Y/N)! (Y/N), wake up!” 

Gasping, your eyes flew open, and the first thing you saw was Obi-Wan’s concerned face hovering over yours. Blindly, you reached out and cupped his cheeks, running your fingers over his beard, his forehead, his lips, assuring yourself that he was real. 

“Sweet one,” he murmured, rubbing circles into the skin of your wrists with his thumbs. “You were having a nightmare. It’s alright. You’re alright; everything is fine.” 

Letting out a small sound of distress, you suddenly realized that you were trembling, and you reached out and threw your arms around Obi-Wan’s neck, just needing to be close to someone. A whoosh of air escaped his lungs in surprise, but he quickly returned your embrace, holding you against his chest and petting softly through your hair. 

“Shhh, dear,” he breathed, voice rumbling against your ear as you pressed your face into his neck. “You’re alright. I’m here.” 

Eventually, you felt your heart rate start to calm, but you didn’t pull away. 

“Promise me you’re not like him,” you suddenly said, needing to know that your nightmare hadn’t been true. “Your master. Promise me that you’re not like that. You...you can’t be that evil, Obi-Wan. I don’t want you to be like him.” 

Kenobi heaved a heavy sigh, and he pulled back to look down at you seriously. 

“(Y/N)... I want nothing more than to make you feel better, but I… I’m a Sith, love.”

“But you say that the dark side of the force isn’t inherently bad, that you don’t have to be a cold killer to be a Sith,” you insisted, and you watched as his lips twitched up into a small smile. 

“I do believe that,” he muttered. “With all my heart. I don’t want to be like that, (Y/N). I respect my master, and he’s taught me a lot, but I won’t pretend to desire to be like him myself..”

You nodded and set your forehead against his shoulder, a small part of you feeling relieved by what he was saying. 

“Do you want to talk about your dream?” he asked cautiously, and you hesitated before nodding, sitting back against the pillows and recounting the details to him. With a small frown on his face, Kenobi listened, nodding his head and considering your words carefully. 

When you were done, he leaned forward and took one of your hands, and you let him, entwining your fingers together and looking down at the blankets your legs were still under. 

“I can see why that upset you,” he murmured. “But dreams pass in time, (Y/N).”

“But you said it yourself; he’s going after Anakin,” you insisted. “I don’t want my friend to be used like that. I love him, Obi-Wan. I don’t… I can’t let that happen.”

Heaving a deep sigh, Valor swiped a hand through his hair and thought for a moment before speaking. 

“I know you want to protect him,” he said, “And I understand why. But it will do you no good worrying about it now. Ultimately, it’s up to Anakin to decide for himself if he will or won’t take my place one day.”

“Take your place?”

“Well, love,” Kenobi smiled, a sad tone tinting his voice, “there can only be two Sith. And, if Anakin does one day decide to turn to the dark side, then my master would much rather have the Chosen One as his apprentice than me. It happened with Qui-Gon; it’ll happen again.” 

You felt your heart break a little upon hearing Obi-Wan say that, and you found yourself leaning forward to wrap your arms around his neck. 

“I’m sorry,” you breathed, not knowing what else to say. “For what it’s worth, Anakin is a pain in the ass; Sidious would regret it after just one day with him.” 

You smiled when you felt Kenobi let out a small chuckle, and you pulled back to see that there was no longer a melancholy look in his eye. Managing a small laugh of your own, you sat back once more. 

“That’s good to know, love,” he grinned, standing up. Carding his fingers through your hair one last time, he turned to the door. “I should let you sleep now. I hope you have sweet dreams until the morning, (Y/N).” 

With that, he walked out, closing the door behind him and leaving you still warm from the feeling of having his arms wrapped around you.


	14. Chapter 14

You shuffled into the kitchen the next morning to find Obi-Wan standing over the stove, stirring eggs and humming under his breath. 

“Good morning,” you croaked, padding over to the caf maker. His head popped up surprisedly, and his eyebrows rose as a small smile graced his lips. 

“Good morning,” he replied. “I didn’t hear you come in. Your training must be paying off.” 

Obi-Wan had recently taken to working on your stealth tactics in your morning saber practices, teaching you how to balance your feet in ways that would make it easier for you to walk without making a sound. You hadn’t realized that you were doing it, and you felt yourself smile as you thought of your progress. However, that smile quickly faded as you thought of how Sidious had talked of your training the previous day. 

“If I wanted to stop our training,” you mused, “would you be upset with me?”

You heard Kenobi let out a sigh as he scooped the eggs onto two different plates. 

“I would be disappointed, yes,” he replied. “But ultimately it would be your choice.” 

“‘My choice’?” you chuckled. “You’re not a very good captor if you keep giving me choices, you know.” 

He laughed quietly at that, nodding his head. 

“Yes, I suppose so,” he responded. “But I can’t make you dedicate yourself to your studies. Not really. Not if I want you to retain and apply them. So, truly, there’s no point in not giving you a choice in this regard.”

You poured your caf into a mug, fixing it just the way you liked it with cream and sugar, and took a sip, pondering what he was saying. 

“You’re training me to turn to the dark side, aren’t you?” you asked. 

Turning around, you saw that he was watched you with his arms crossed, tilting his head to the side as he considered his words. 

“I’m trying to show you what the dark side truly is,” he explained. “The Jedi only teach you a warped, extremist view of it. But, really, it’s not at all what they claim it to be. It’s a way to use the force alongside your feelings, your passions. Have you ever heard the Code of the Sith?”

When you shook your head no, Obi-Wan started reciting. 

“‘Peace is a lie’,” he intoned. “‘There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free.’” 

As he spoke, something dark and sonorous within the force shook, as if it were humming along to his lilting voice, and you could sense the power behind his words. 

“It’s this freedom that I want to show you,” he insisted. “Everyone deserves a chance to be free, to see the truth of what lies within the force. If you choose, after having learned what I have to teach you, to return to the temple and give yourself over to them so they can use you as they please, then at least you’ll do that freely, knowing what else is out there. I do hope that that won’t be the case, of course, but if it is, then I respect your decision.” 

Your mind was in a jumble to process all that he’d just told you, finally understanding the reason why he’d become a Sith, but he didn’t give you time to think before handing you a plate of eggs, toast, and some fruit. 

“Now. If you’ll allow me to continue training you,” he said, “Eat up. I have some techniques that I think will help you with your balance, and you still have yet to win in a sparring match against me.” 

Heading to the dining room table, you smirking over your shoulder at him. 

“Key word being ‘yet’, Kenobi.” 

__________

“This is ridiculous,” Qui-Gon grumbled as he walked alongside his former padawan. It was four months since you’d been taken from the temple, and they still weren’t much closer to finding you or Valor.

“We’re trying our best, Master,” Anakin sighed. 

“No, you’re not. And it’s not your fault, either. It’s the blasted council’s. If they just let me focus on it-”

“Artoo has narrowed down which systems in the galaxy Valor could be hiding in. It’s only a matter of time until we find them,” Anakin said in an attempt to placate the older man. 

“But you still have other missions that need to be attended to! Finding Obi-Wan has been put on the back burner. I don’t understand why they won’t let me work on this instead of just having you search for them between assignments,” Master Jinn continued. “One would think that finding one of our own and a Sith would be a priority.”

“Master, you know that I’m not a fan of the council’s either,” Anakin sighed. “But we’ll find them soon. Hey, think of it this way. The more (Y/N) is with him, the more she’ll find out about him and his plans. She said when I saw her last that he wasn’t hurting her, and she looked to be alright. Maybe this will get us some good intel.” 

“I still don’t like it,” Qui-Gon replied. The Jedi had been restless since his recovery, and he was even more obsessed now with finding his former apprentice. He’d even bought a new holopad dedicated to research on what little was known of Valor since his fall to the dark side. Anakin almost found it amusing, watching his old master become an obsessive conspiracy theorist. But he had to admit that he wanted you back just as badly as Qui-Gon wanted Obi-Wan to come to his senses. 

“Perhaps I should ask the council once more if I could-”

“Please,” the younger man groaned, “You’ve asked them three times already. They’re not going to say yes, Master.”

“This is intolerable,” Qui-Gon complained once more, but he eventually grew silent as he and Anakin walked to the Archives together. 

“Master!” 

The two men turned around as they saw Ahsoka jogging up to them, a wide grin splitting her face as she approached. 

“Master,” she greeted, bowing first to Anakin and then to Qui-Gon. “Master Jinn. I have some news that I think you’ll be very happy to hear.”

“Oh, really? Do tell,” Anakin smiled, happy to see his padawan so excited. For the past few months, she’d been a bit more somber than usual; she blamed herself for letting Valor get away with you, and her master could tell that she was anxious to locate you once more. 

“Artoo has been looking over the readings from that day in the market, and he thinks he has Valor’s location narrowed down to a handful of planets not far from Coruscant,” she declared, practically jumping up and down in excitement. Both Qui-Gon and Anakin’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise, and they wore matching grins as they took in what Ahsoka was saying. 

“Where is Artoo now?” Master Jinn asked. 

“The hangar bay.”

Without saying anything else, Qui-Gon headed that way, almost sprinting in his hurry to find out what the droid had to say. 

___________

Four months, halfway through your prison sentence with the Sith. You’d cautiously allowed him to continue training you, thankful that, this time around, he openly told you which techniques and ideals were of Sith origin. You still didn’t use them, only watching as Kenobi demonstrated them to you, but they still lingered in the back of your mind. You wondered if you would ever allow yourself to use them. 

Time seemed to be flying by, and you still felt guilty as you started seeing your stay with Valor as being less like captivity and more like a vacation from life as a Jedi. You found yourself dreading returning to certain things after the eight months were up. For instance, you hated thinking of returning to that incessant war. You’d been a padawan during the days when Jedi were mere peacekeepers, not generals or soldiers. You weren’t trained for war, and seeing your troops die over and over again had taken its toll on your nerves and your heart. 

“That’s also one reason why I’m glad I didn’t stay,” Kenobi had said one day as you two played chess. You’d somehow fallen into a discussion about the war, and you’d asked him what he thought of everything that was happening within the Republic. “I know that I could have fought, that perhaps I could have been a successful general, but I’m not really interested in fighting for the Senate. Or the Separatists, for that manner.”

“But you led a Separatist attack on the temple.”

“My master somehow has authority within their ranks, yes,” he pondered, “And I have their troops at my disposal should I ever have need of them. But my master knows that I work better either in the shadows or on diplomatic missions. I’ve been that way even since I was a padawan. Did Qui-Gon ever tell you the nickname he’d given me?”

“No,” you responded, surprised that he’d brought up his former master. 

“The Negotiator,” he chuckled, moving a chess piece. “Truth be told, I hated it. But I suppose he did have good reason for giving it to me.”

“Hm. I can see that. You do have a way with manipulating people with your words,” you snarked, moving your queen closer to his king. He smirked at you and moved a piece forward, knocking your queen over and thus winning the game. 

“So you’re saying that I’m good at using my tongue?” he murmured, sending you that mischievous smile of his. You blushed and shook your head, looking down to your lap. 

“You’re...impossible,” you stammered, causing him to laugh quietly.

“Mm, I am, aren’t I?” he replied, setting the pieces back in place. 

That had been a month ago, and you still blushed at the memory. After that kiss on his ship, he’d let up on his attempts at flirting with you. However, around the end of the third month, he’d started making little quips here and there, and you found yourself blushing more and more. You knew that, deep down, you did like his attentions, but you told yourself to just ignore him, that it was all part of him trying to get in your head, that he was just a natural flirt and acted that way towards everyone. 

Whether you wanted to admit it or not, that thought did plague you when you thought of him caring for you. He’d said many times that you were special to him, and he was obviously attracted to you, but did he truly, deeply care for who you were? You hated that this mattered to you. You hated that the thought of him thinking of you as little more than a plaything made your heart ache; it was a sign that you cared for him as well. And that just couldn’t be. He was a Sith, and it was against the Code. 

But you’ve already broken the Code, that dark part of you whispered. You care about Anakin. And it hasn’t gotten you into any trouble yet. 

That doesn’t change the fact that he’s a kriffing Sith, you mentally shouted back. 

Thoughts like these kept on plaguing you throughout that fourth month, and it was becoming harder and harder for you to not snap at the Sith for making you feel these...things. About two weeks in, though, you couldn’t help but lash out at him after another remark. 

“I’m going to take a shower,” you said, settling your practice saber into the chest where they were stored. 

“Would you like some help in there?” he asked, smiling down at you. 

“Could you just cut it out?” you suddenly barked, glaring up at him. “I get that you get some sick kick out of flustering me, but I would really appreciate it if you stopped acting like I was some sort of plaything. It’s cruel.”

Obi-Wan’s face was twisted into confusion, and he let his training saber drop into the chests before crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow at you. 

“I don’t see how a few harmless statements are “cruel”-”

“Because you don’t… You don’t really mean them!” you fumed, running a hand through your hair. “I get that it’s fun for you, but it’s very hurtful knowing that you’re just saying these things to make me upset instead of actually meaning them and...and caring about me. I’m not-”

You were interrupted by Obi-Wan’s hands as they cupped your cheeks, and you finally looked up to see his eyes watching you softly. You realized then that you could get lost in those eyes, swimming through their golden depths for an eternity, and you wondered how you’d ever found them unsettling as he spoke quietly to you. 

“I am sorry that I made it appear that this is just for my amusement,” he murmured. “That truly wasn’t my intention. And I’m sorry if my words make you uncomfortable at any time. But, (Y/N), you’re wrong to assume that I don’t mean what I say, and you’re wrong if you think that there aren’t deep feelings behind every word I speak to you.” 

One of his hands came behind your head to run through your hair, and you could only look up at him with wide, surprised eyes as he leaned closer. 

“I care for you very deeply, sweet one. Your smile, your laugh, your determination and strength…” He let out a faint chuckle as his thumb rubbed against your cheekbone. “How can you not see it in how I look at you? I watch you as if you were the force itself, (Y/N).” 

And just like that, a battle broke out behind your eyelids, a war raging between the light and dark parts of you. Your training as a Jedi and your training from the Sith; your dedication to the Code and your doubtful feelings for the council; your conflicting feelings of what is right and what is wrong and if any of that even matters anymore; everything burst into flames with those three little words that he hadn’t said but you knew were true anyways. And, beneath it all, there was that same voice that had been whispering to you all this time, the one that now wouldn’t stop chanting ‘He loves you. He loves you!’. 

And finally, finally, you felt yourself break. 

For the fourth time since you’d met him, you felt his lips on yours, but it was the first time that you’d been the one to lean in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly just porn, so if you want to skip it to get to the plot, go down until the page break. And, as always, let me know what you think! I'm not very experienced when it comes to writing smut, so feedback is always lovely!

Kenobi’s lips felt the same as you’d remembered - soft, if a little chapped in some spots, and they fit perfectly against yours. But the emotion behind this kiss… That was something completely new to you. 

As Obi-Wan’s body relaxed under your touch, and as you let yourself lean into him, you felt something shiver within the force, and you realized with a start that it was his mind opening up to yours for the first time. You felt his mental shields drop, and you felt your shields plummeting in response, offering your mind to him as he was offering his to you. 

There were dark, warm tendrils of his consciousness whispering through the bond that was linking you two together, and you gave in to their gentle caresses, letting yourself plummet into his essence, not looking back even for a second. 

All around you there was blackness, tinted in some areas with gold and orange streaks, as if Obi-Wan’s mind was burning. Warmth flooded your senses; it felt as if you were being wrapped up in his presence, and you clutched him closer to you as his feelings ripped through your chest. Unsurety that echoed your own coursed through your blood, accompanied by a primal desire to take and possess, but most of all there was a soft yet firm current of a feeling that was forbidden because of the power it held: love. You almost collapsed when you felt it, but his arms were there, holding you against him in a grip so strong that not even a thousand lightsabers could break it. Tears slid down from your closed eyes as he poured every emotion he had to offer into your brain, and your breath was taken away when you realized you felt the same way about him. 

You were in love with Obi-Wan Kenobi. It had taken you so long to realize it, but that consuming, drowning feeling in your heart had been growing steadily as you spent more and more time with the Sith, memorizing his smiles and cherishing his laughter. You didn’t know when it had begun; perhaps it was when he’d first made you smile, perhaps it had been when you’d taken your first good look at the eyes which you’d come to love so much. In either case, though, you knew it was indisputable, and you knew there was no denying it. 

Vaguely, you were aware of movement, and you gasped as you felt yourself being lifted off the ground. Your arms came up to wrap around his neck, holding onto him tightly as your back was pressed against the wall, your legs on either side of Obi-Wan’s waist. Your lips parted for the first time in minutes, leaving you both breathless and looking at each other with half-lidded eyes. After a second, though, Kenobi became restless, desperate to feel your lips on his again. This kiss was crushing, lacking the gentleness that had filled the previous one. You felt both of your minds pleading with your bodies, urging you towards that primitive place that demanded flesh to be pressed against flesh; you felt your hips stutter forwards against Kenobi’s, eliciting a sound from him that seemed to be the mix of a groan and a growl. 

Pulling away, his lips latched onto the skin beneath your jaw, nipping and sucking as his hips ground against yours, allowing you to feel the hardness growing there as he sought out your warmth. Your nails dug into his shoulders and your head fell back against the wall, eyes and mouth open towards the ceiling as you puzzled over where your thoughts ended and his began. ‘More, a voice was saying, filling your brain with its dark tone. More, more, more…’

“Obi-Wan,” you sighed, gasping when his teeth grazed over your pulse-point. 

“(Y/N),” was his response, and you felt your breath catch in your lungs at the gravelly tone of his voice. “I need you…” Sucking once more over your pulse, he snapped his hips forward once more, and you realized just how wet you were becoming for him. You could feel your blood pounding through your veins, and you knew that you needed him, too. Everything was happening so fast, so forcefully, but you knew beyond a doubt that you wanted him with every cell of your body. Your mouth opened of its own accord, and words you’d never heard yourself say before fled out of your throat. 

“P-please,” you begged, raking your fingers through his hair. “Fuck me, Obi-Wan… Please…”

It was definitely a growl that sounded from him now, and you watched as he pulled away, looking into your eyes as he spoke. 

“Are you sure?” he asked, despite the fact that you knew he wanted nothing to take you then and there. His hardness was pressed against your thigh, and his eyes were dancing with love and lust as he considered you. “If we… If we start, I may not be able to stop if you change your mind…” 

Nodding your head quickly, you only managed a soft “yes” before his lips were on yours once more. Closing your eyes, you felt yourself being carried, and in a matter of seconds you were being lowered onto the mattress, head resting against soft pillows as Kenobi crawled to lay between your legs. Leaning up on an elbow, he slowly let one hand glide up and down your side as he pulled back, just looking down at you for a second before speaking. 

“You’re so beautiful…” he murmured, causing your cheeks to flush even more. “I… I don’t have...protection,” he stated suddenly, and you almost laughed at the aghast expression in his eyes. 

“It’s ok,” you promised, tugging your sleeve up. You pointed to your upper arm, feeling for the little notch that you knew was there somewhere. “I have birth control. The med center at the temple injected me with a little device that releases it into my blood over time.” 

Chuckling softly, Kenobi nodded his head, a small smile resting on his lips. 

“Truly the only thing the temple has done that I 100% approve of,” he laughed. You offered your own grin in response before pulling him down once more by his hair, claiming his mouth once more as your hands moved from his hair down to the hem of his shirt, clutching the material there and tugging it upwards. Sitting back, he quickly took it off, removing his undershirt afterwards before moving his hands to yours, guiding your arms up so he could slide the fabric over your head. Goosebumps covered your arms as the air hit them, and you couldn’t take your eyes off his torso as his muscles contracted with every one of his movements. 

Taking a moment just to admire each other, each of you started mapping the other one out with your palms, pressing against any skin you could find. A light dusting of hair had grown over his chest, and you let your fingers thread through it as you felt his warm digits trace the outline of your bra. One of his eyebrows rose in a silent question, and you nodded tentatively, giving him permission to take it off. Arching your chest up so he could reach the back, you chuckled as you felt his fingers fumbling behind you. For a man who was usually so self-assured in his movements, it was quite odd to think of a simple bra getting the best of him. 

“Let me,” you said, pushing him back before reaching behind yourself, unclasping it quickly before tossing it away. Laying back, you bit your lip as you watched his eyes devour you hungrily, and without warning he leaned down, sucking over your collarbone before moving downwards. One hand came up to gently massage one of your breasts as his mouth attached itself to the other one, nipping and sucking at the flesh there before his tongue turned its attentions to your nipple. Sighing, you closed your eyes and rested your hand back, carding your fingers through his hair and unconsciously spreading your legs wider. 

After several moments, Obi-Wan leaned back and brought his hands to the waistband of your pants, watching your face as he worked at removing them, searching for any signs that you wanted him to stop. When he found none, he quickly slid them down, sucking in a breath when he saw the wet spot spreading over your panties. Feeling embarrassment bloom in your chest, you moved to close your legs, but his hands on your knees stopped you from doing so. 

Slowly, he slid his palms up and hooked his fingers around the band of your underwear, tugging them down. His golden eyes never left your pussy as he took your panties off, tossing them to the side as he drank in the sight of you. Without turning his eyes away, he leaned down and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the inside of your thigh, just above your knee, keeping his hands on either of your legs to keep them spread. Propping up on your elbows so you could see him, you watched as he kept trailing kisses up your thighs, eventually closing his eyes as he tasted and bit your skin. 

“You’re perfect for me,” he sighed, nuzzling against the top of your thigh. “So beautiful, so wet for me…” Gasping, your hips stuttered up as one of his fingers traced up your slit, just barely brushing against your pussy lips. “May I taste you, sweet one?” 

You were only able to nod your head before he leaned down once more, holding onto both of your thighs as he licked a long, broad stripe along your cunt. Moaning at the foreign feeling, you watched as he kept licking over you gently, parting your folds so his tongue could brush softly against your clit. The hair of his beard brushed against your legs, scratching softly with his movements, and those golden irises snapped up to watch your face as he slowly ate you out. 

He first started with gentle, almost hesitant kitten licks over your clit, teasing it softly before wrapping his lips around it and sucking, drawing out whimpers and moans and all kinds of sounds that you hadn’t even known you were capable of making. And, through it all, you could still sense his emotions as they spilled into your brain; there was almost a constant chorus of possessive thoughts, whispering ‘mine’ over and over again as his mouth moved over your pussy. 

Then, after several blissful minutes, his motions stopped, and you whimpered at the loss of that delicious feeling he’d built up within you. Your whimper soon turned into a moan, however, when you felt his tongue brush over your entrance, and your mouth fell open in a silent scream as it pushed into you gently. Calloused hands drew your legs over his shoulders, and he moaned softly as he began to tongue-fuck you at that same unhurried, excruciating pace. 

‘You taste like heaven, my love,’ he whispered into your mind, and your hands came up to clutch his hair as your hips started thrusting up against his mouth of their own accord. 

“O-Obi-Wan…” you cried, rocking your hips faster and faster as his tongue moved deeper into your core, twisting and curling it until you were squirming from the pressure building up inside of you. You felt yourself racing towards the edge of something, a breaking point that threatened to consume you as his mouth finally, finally, moved faster against your heated flesh. 

“A-Ah! Obi-Wan!” you screamed, snapping your hips up one more time until you were cumming on his tongue. Groaning at the feeling of you clenching around him, Kenobi licked up your wetness, lips smacking against you and throat swallowing thickly as he watched your face. 

Licking his lips, he pulled back after another minute, beard glistening with your moisture until he brought a hand up in an effort to wipe it away. One of his arms wrapped around your back, and he leaned on his other elbow to hover over you as he spoke. 

“You did so well, sweet one,” he murmured, leaning down and kissing you once more. Shaking just a little bit from the force of your orgasm, you returned the kiss, tasting yourself on his lips as he pulled you closer against him. You could still feel his erection pressing against your hip, and your pleasure-addled brain cried out to you, urging you to press up against it.

“Will you fuck me now, master?” you sighed, watching as his pupils dilated upon hearing you call him that. Crushing his lips back onto yours, he hurriedly worked to remove his pants, kicking them off along with his underwear until his length was freed. Glancing down, you saw his cock, flushed red and already leaking a bead of precum, pressed against your thigh, and you once more spread your legs. 

“Please?” you asked, moving your eyes back to his. Nodding quickly, he moved so that his hips were lined up with yours, and you could just barely feel the tip of his member brush against your folds. 

“Tell me if it hurts,” he murmured. And then, holding your hip with one hand, he slid into you, going slowly and gradually as your walls stretched around him. 

You felt a stinging sensation emanating from your entrance as he moved deeper into you, and you could barely suppress the pained gasp that rose up in your throat at the intrusive feeling, but you managed to stay quiet, focusing instead on Obi-Wan’s face. 

Truly, you couldn’t remember ever seeing anything more beautiful than Obi-Wan in that moment. His eyes were closed and his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, a small line forming between them as his mouth fell open with a deep, guttural groan. The hand holding your hip clenched, squeezing you almost painfully as his sheathed himself fully inside you, and you watched on as his eyelids fluttered open. Studying your face, he let a small smile come to his lips before he leaned down and kissed you, trailing his hand from your hip and moving it up to cup your cheek. 

“You feel like heaven, my love,” he breathed, rubbing circles into your cheekbone with his thumb. “Does this hurt too much?” 

“N-no,” you answered, shaking your head and shifting your hips up. Both of you gasped at the feeling that movement sparked, and Kenobi took that as a sign to move, slowly drawing his hips back before sliding back in fully, repeating that motion at a steady rate. Slowly, you felt the burning feeling fade away, quickly being replaced with pleasure as he moved deeper into you with each thrust. 

Rocking your hips in time with him, your quiet moans became louder and louder as he kept hitting a spot deep inside you, sparking an electric feeling that you never wanted to stop. Your nails created white scratches down his shoulders as you pulled him closer against you, and you listened as he grunted and moaned above you. 

‘I love you,’ his mind whispered into yours. ‘I love you, I love you…’ 

You pressed your lips against his, moaning into his mouth softly as his thrusts became faster and faster. Once more, you felt a knot tightening within your core, and you cried out his name over and over, throwing your head back as waves of pleasure washed over you.

“A-ah, fuck,” he moaned, rocking his hips harder into yours. “C-cum for me, (Y/N)... Please…”

And with that, you let out another cry as you came, this time followed by Obi-Wan as his hips stuttered. Warmth pooled inside you as he reached his climax, and you went limp against the pillows as your orgasm rushed through you, leaving you feeling boneless and sated. After a few seconds, Obi-Wan flopped down beside you, pulling you to lay against his chest, the only sounds in the room being both of you breathing heavily as you came down from your highs. 

Turning your head, you looked over his face as he studied yours, both of you wearing small smiles as you considered the other. No more words were exchanged between you, for you both knew where you stood for the first time after meeting one another, and you let your eyes close as your brain became more and more exhausted from the events of that day. Both of you drifted off as you held onto each other, curled up in a tight embrace, feeling safer than you had in a long time. 

______________

“We should probably start here,” Anakin said, pointing to the map that was projected in front of him. Mace Windu listened to the younger man speak, following where his finger was pointing to and focusing on the planet being indicated. The council member had decided to accompany Anakin on his mission to find you, deciding that, now that they had your location narrowed down to a few planets, it would be wise to have two Jedi to fight against Darth Valor. Plus, if he was being honest, he was concerned for you. You’d been his padawan, after all, and he considered you to be a friend. He wanted to see you safe once more, and he was anxious to get Qui-Gon off his back about finding the elusive Darth Valor. 

“An ice world? What makes you think he’d choose this place?” Windu asked, skeptical. 

“On our list of possibilities, it’s the closest to Coruscant,” was Anakin’s response. “It’s the best place to start. Plus, there are only a few places on the planet that are warm enough for him to be living on, so there aren’t a lot of places to search.” 

“So we search around the volcanoes and then move on?” 

“Pretty much,” Anakin replied. “Unless you have a better idea?”

“No, that’s as good an idea as any,” Windu sighed, stepping away from the map. “How far are we from the planet?” 

“Only about a few hours."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, this chapter was so hard to write. I'm still not 100% pleased with it, so I hope it's ok. As always, leave a comment saying if there's anything I can do to improve the story. Love you guys!

You had no idea what time it was when you woke up. All you knew was that there was something warm and furry pressed against your bare chest, and a dull, sore ache was emanating from the apex of your thighs. Furrowing your eyebrows, you opened your eyes, glancing down at whatever was on top of you. 

All confusion left your mind when you saw Obi-Wan; both of his arms were wrapped around your waist, holding your body against his as he rested his head against your heart beat. Smiling softly, you carded a hand through his reddish hair, eliciting a deep sigh from him as he cuddled closer against you. 

Despite his movement, you could tell that he was in a deep sleep; his eyes were shut tight, and his mouth was just barely parted. In fact, you could just barely distinguish soft snores emanating from the man, and you felt a warm feeling blossom in your chest at just how...well, how cute the Sith looked in that moment. Swiping his bangs out of his face, you let your head fall back, staring at the ceiling and blushing as you recalled the events from last night. Or last...afternoon? It was impossible to keep the time straight in the cave you’d been calling home for almost five months. 

Closing your eyes, you tried to fall back asleep, but it just wouldn’t come to you. Something was a bit...off. There was something pestering you from the corner of your mind, telling you that something was amiss. But you quickly shook it off; some kind of connection had been formed between you and Kenobi, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to sense his emotions like you had. It was mostly the new bond that your brain was puzzling over. 

You were quickly drawn from your ruminations when the arms around you tightened, and you looked down to find those two yellow irises gazing up at you. 

“Good morning,” Obi-Wan croaked, smiling as he rested his chin against your sternum. 

Laughing softly, you once more pushed his stubborn bangs aside as they threatened to fall over his forehead once more. 

“Your beard tickles,” you said, eliciting a chuckle from him as well. 

“I don’t seem to remember you complaining about that yesterday,” he responded, causing you to blush and shove his shoulder playfully. 

“Shut up,” you smiled. 

Shifting further up your body, Obi-Wan hovered over you and pressed a soft kiss to your lips, which you returned happily. Pulling away, he ran his calloused fingers through your hair gently before speaking. 

“I imagine we have a lot to talk about, don’t we, love?” he murmured, and you heaved a deep sigh in response. 

“We do,” you admitted, closing your eyes. “I really don’t want to think about that right now, though.” 

“I don’t either,” he agreed. “But…you saw for yourself how I felt last night. I don’t want for this to just be sex; I want to be with you. And I think you want to be with me, from what I was able to sense.”

“I do,” you said, nodding your head. It felt so freeing to finally admit it; you’d fought your feelings for so long. But he was right; you were still a Jedi, and he was still a Sith. 

“God,” you sighed, shaking your head. “I can’t just break the Code and fall in love; oh, no, I have to break the Code and fall in love with a Sith, of all people.” 

Kenobi laughed at this, shoulders shaking with the movement as his eyes danced with mirth. 

“Well, what’s the saying again? ‘Go big or go home’?”

A wide grin came to your lips, and you simply nodded as you stared up at the face you’d come to adore so much. His eyes crinkled just a bit at their corners, and his lips were stretched over his straight teeth as he smiled down at you. ‘He really is beautiful,’ you thought to yourself, and his eyebrows shot up immediately after that thought. 

“I heard that,” he stated, causing your jaw to drop. 

“Wh-what?” you stuttered. 

“Your shields are still down, sweet one,” he explained, and you quickly shot them back up, not believing you hadn’t noticed. “Oh, no, don’t shield yourself on my account; I quite liked the thoughts I was hearing.” 

“You’re still impossible,” you said. 

“You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

It was true; you’d completely fallen for the man who now lay beside you, and you knew there was no denying it. 

“Now, as much as I would love to spend all day here with you,” Valor suddenly said, sitting up, “I think that both of us could use some breakfast. So, how about you go shower or dress or whatever you feel like you should do, and I’ll try and figure out how to make pancakes, and we’ll meet in the dining room to talk?” 

Smiling, you nodded and sat up, catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror across the room. Furrowing your eyebrows, you stood up and stepped closer, taking yourself in. A large, purple bruise was blossoming over your neck, and you realised after a moment that it was a hickey. Bringing one hand up to brush against it, feeling the tender flesh, you combed through your hair with the other hand, finding several tangles and kinks in it. So, sex hair really was a thing. 

“Sorry about that, love,” Kenobi grinned, obviously not sorry at all, if the smug look on his face was an indicator of any sort. “I suppose I got a little carried away.” 

Looking down, you saw a line of hickeys on your inner thigh from where he’d sucked and nipped at the skin there, and you felt the blush on your cheeks intensify. 

“Oh, my,” was all you could say. 

“For what it’s worth, I think you look more lovely now than you ever have,” Obi-Wan said, coming up behind you and settling his hands on your hips. 

“Crazy hair and all?”

“Crazy hair and all,” he affirmed, kissing the top of your head before pulling away. Moving to his closet, he retrieved a loose pair of sleeping pants and pulled them on before heading out to the kitchen, leaving you alone in the bedroom. Deciding that a shower was definitely in order, you, too, went to the closet, getting out an outfit for yourself and walking to the bathroom. 

You took your time in the shower, scrubbing away the cum and sweat left over from your love making. Letting your mind wander, you thought of the Sith that was currently struggling to master the simple art of pancakes, smiling a bit to yourself. You two would never see eye to eye on everything, but you couldn’t help but love him. 

There were about three and a half more months with him, you reasoned with yourself. You knew that something had to give, that you couldn’t go back to being a Jedi and also have a Sith boyfriend, but it hurt your heart to think of any of that. You didn’t want to give up fighting for the force, and you hated to think of leaving behind your friends at the temple. With a cold sense of dread, you thought about Anakin and Ahsoka; how would they think of you if they knew you were in love with the Sith who’d attacked the temple and kidnapped you? 

‘I have time to think of all that in three months,’ you told yourself, shaking the thoughts and the anxiety that came with them out of your mind. ‘No need in getting upset over this right now. Just...let yourself enjoy this one day. Just one day where you don’t have to think of the repercussions of your heart and its feelings.’

_______________________

“Nothing here,” Anakin called, turning around to face Master Windu, who was still looking around the entrance of the cave they were in. 

“Let’s move on, then,” the council member grumbled, tugging at the thick winter coat he was bundled up in. Thus far, they’d searched around nearly every source of heat on this desolate planet, and there weren’t any signs of you. On the list of about 10 volcanoes that were located on the tiny globe, they’d just got through with number nine, but they were already anxious to be gone from the place. 

“I’m freezing my ass off here,” Windu grumbled, trudging back to the ship. 

“Me too,” agreed Anakin. “I grew up knee-deep in sand, not knee-deep in snow.”

“Let’s just get this last volcano over with. Valor would have to be a masochistic idiot to live here anyways,” Mace sighed, hopping back into the warmth of the ship. 

__________________________

“So… I did manage to make three pancakes that were neither under- nor over-cooked, so these are yours,” Obi-Wan smiled, setting a plate with the hotcakes in question on it down in front of you. Sitting up straighter in your chair, you laughed as you took the syrup he offered in his other hand. 

“Thank you very much,” you smiled, laughing at his sweet but misled attempt at cooking. “What are you going to eat?”

“Cereal, probably,” he laughed, sitting down next to you. “But I’m not hungry right now.” 

Nodding, you cut off a bit of pancake with your fork and ate it, surprised that it didn’t taste horrible. Actually, it was pretty good, and you offered Obi-Wan a smile. 

“This is surprisingly ok,” you commended, causing him to let out a laugh. 

“‘Surprisingly’? So you don’t have faith in me,” he accused, and you nodded. 

“Oh, none whatsoever.”

“Well, you’re right not to trust my skills in the kitchen. Or, lack thereof,” he said. 

After a few moments of eating in silence, you heard him clear his throat, and you looked up to see a cautious look settling in his eyes. 

“I meant it when I said we should talk about this,” he stated, glancing over your face sincerely. “I sense conflict within you, even though you’re trying to suppress it. Talk to me, love. Please.”

Sighing, you set your fork down and thought, trying to gather your tumultuous feelings into words and then sentences. 

“I… I suppose I’m just...divided, really,” you said slowly. “On one hand, I know that I’ll eventually have to return back to the temple, back to being a Jedi and a general. But every time I think about that, I think about how I love you, and how I can’t have a relationship with a Sith while fighting as a Jedi. It’s like… It’s like I’m being torn apart.”

Kenobi opened his mouth to speak, but after a minute he closed it, shaking his head, as if he’d decided against whatever he was going to say. He simply set his hand on your wrist, rubbing circles into the skin there with his thumb. 

“I know that must be difficult to live with, sweet one. I’m sorry that I’ve caused you any distress,” he murmured, looking earnestly into your eyes. “But… Have you ever thought about… About staying? You don’t have to go back to the temple.”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you looked down at the table, considering this. Truth be told, the idea of staying with Kenobi hadn’t even crossed your mind. Would that make you happy? What about your friends at the temple? Could you ever turn your back on them? 

“I… I don’t know,” you muttered, looking down at where his hand covered yours. “I don’t know if I could leave everything behind.”

Clenching his jaw, Obi-Wan sighed through his nose but still managed to smile at you. 

“It’s ultimately your choice, love,” he stated. “But just...think about it. And you-”

Kenobi cut himself off, snapping his mouth shut and straightening up sharply in his chair. Confused, you were about to ask what was wrong, but he suddenly stood up and ran to the training room. Frowning, you stood from your chair as well, wondering what had gotten into him. 

“Obi-Wan?” you called, walking towards where he’d fled to. “What’s-”

“Someone’s here,” he growled, clipping something onto his belt. You realized with a start that it was his lightsaber, and you shook your head, still not understanding. 

“Your master?”

“No,” he responded, setting a hand on your shoulder. “Someone else. I need you to wait in the bedroom.”

“But-”

“Please,” he sighed. “Just listen to me.” He moved his hand down your arm to your wrist, wrapping his fingers around it and bringing your palm up to his lips to kiss it softly. “I sense that someone who means us harm is approaching. Let me-”

“In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you’re under arrest.”

Both of your heads whipped around, and Kenobi’s grip on your wrist unconsciously tightened upon seeing who stood in the mouth of the cave you two had called home for so long. 

Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu looked over you two with grim determination in their eyes and lightsabers in their hands. Their faces were cast in an eery blue and purple glow, and the storm outside seemed to pick up, as if it were mimicking the panic your mind had descended into. Stepping forward, Anakin’s lips pulled back into a snarl as he glared at the man you’d fallen in love with. 

“I’m only going to say this one more time,” he scowled. 

“Let. Her. Go.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for this...

Your eyes kept flitting between the two most important men in your life as they stared each other down, and the only sounds you could hear were the chilling wind outside and the pounding of your blood resonating in your ears. Your heart was practically vibrating as its beats became faster and faster, circulating panic through your body that made your limbs tense, leaving you frozen where you stood. You’d known that your past life and the existence you’d been sharing with Obi-Wan would someday have to meet, but you weren’t ready for this confrontation. Not when you still didn’t know how you felt about anything at all, not when you didn’t know if the love you’d formed for Kenobi outweighed the dedication you’d made to the Jedi. 

But it was too late for you to take time and think of that now. A low humming sound was reverberating from somewhere to your right, and you looked to see Obi-Wan holding his own lightsaber, tinting your skin and the space around you with a warm crimson glow that contrasted drastically to the cool blue of your best friend’s weapon. 

“Let her go, Valor,” Master Windu commanded. You didn’t know if you were seeing things or not, but it looked like there was a flicker of concern residing behind his eyes, something you’d never seen in all the years during which you’d been his apprentice. 

“I don’t think so,” was Kenobi’s response, pulling you once more until your side was glued to his and his arm was around your waist. “I commend you for finding me; truly, I’m surprised you lot were even capable of such a thing. But she isn’t going anywhere.” 

Turning to him, you saw that his eyes were trained solely on Anakin, and the familiar hatred he held for the ‘Chosen One’ had returned with full force, cloaking his features in black, thick anger. The arm around you tightened protectively, and Obi-Wan’s words came back to you, an almost distant memory. ‘I should have known that that boy would take you from me. After all, he’s taken everything else.’ 

You gulped as you thought about how that statement was being fulfilled right now as the two men faced off, blue eyes glaring into yellow as they stared each other down. 

“(Y/N),” you heard Kenobi say into your mind, sending his words across the bond you two had formed. “You must decide now. Who do you want to-”

But he was cut off when Anakin rushed him, and it was all Obi-Wan could do to shove you away as his saber arched down, clashing against Kenobi’s weapon so hard that it nearly knocked both of them to the floor. As it was, you’d fallen heavily to the cold ground, the breath rushing out of your lungs from your impact. You struggled to regain it as you watched the three men duel, each gritting their teeth and slashing at each other with grim determination. 

Mace Windu was trying to work with Anakin, you could tell, attempting to attack in tandem with your friend, but all Anakin was focussed on was fighting Kenobi as fast and as hard as he could, not bothering with any techniques and fighting styles as he backed the Sith into the dining room. All the while, though, Kenobi watched on, smirking to himself. For a brief second, you wondered what he could possibly be smiling about as he fought against the two Jedi, but your eyes widened as you watched the scene unfold, sensing Obi-Wan’s intentions just a second before he carried them out. 

Leaping up onto the dining room table, Valor spun his saber faster than your eyes could follow just as Anakin pushed past Windu to aim a slash at his legs. However, this move was quickly blocked by the Sith, and Mace was left vulnerable as he was thrown off balance. With horror, you watched the red arch of light swing down, and your scream mixed with your former master’s cry of pain as his hand was cut off right at the wrist, severing his connection to his lightsaber and sending him floundering to the ground, groaning in pain as he clutched the cauterized wound to his chest. 

“No!” Anakin shouted, jumping onto the table and growling as he continued to attack Obi-Wan. You heard the swift swinging of their sabers as you crawled over to Master Windu, hovering over him on your knees and watching as he gasped up at the ceiling; you’d seen him looking this way before, and you knew he was trying to release his pain to the force, attempting to regain his strength and not go into shock. 

“(Y/N),” he grunted, looking up at you before pointing with his remaining hand to where his saber lay deactivated on the floor across the room. “Take it; use it. Help Anakin…” 

On instinct, you obeyed your master, calling his weapon to you with the force and looking down at it as it rested in your hand, the metal heavy and cool against your skin. Standing up slowly, you looked between it and the fight that was still going on, mind racing as it tried to figure out how exactly to use it. Which one did you help? Your brother in arms or your lover? 

Your decision was made for you soon enough. Anakin and Obi-Wan had somehow migrated towards the mouth of the cave, and they were still locked in fierce combat. A small part of your brain couldn’t help but notice the similarities within their fighting styles. It was easy for you to tell that they had both been trained by Qui-Gon Jinn, and anyone could see that they were both using their emotions to fuel their fighting. Both were drawing on similar techniques, and both were desperate to fight for you, the woman that both of them believed to somehow belong to and with them. 

But, in the end, Anakin’s lack of experience and pride was his downfall. 

Your friend was fast and skilled, this you knew, but he let his mind get away from him, causing him to forget that the cave was, in fact, located on a precipice. With a slash that just barely grazed the younger man’s stomach, Kenobi pushed him back with the force, causing him to teeter on the edge of the icy drop below. 

“No!” you heard someone scream, and it was only as you ran forward to help your friend that you realized the scream had ripped itself from your own throat. Red blade raised high above his head, you watched in what seemed to be slow-motion as Obi-Wan prepared to land a killing blow. As you drew closer, you watched Anakin’s eyes as they filled with shock, and you could see that, in that moment, he was convinced he was about to die. Surprise and the anticipation of pain flitted across his features, and your heart sang with the need to protect, to save your little brother. 

A wave of white-hot determination coursed through your veins, mingling with the love you had for Anakin and the anger that came with the knowledge that, no matter what choice you made, somehow your heart would break. But, if you were to lose something, you did not want it to be lost in death. 

You would rather save everyone you cared about and give up the love you’d found within Obi-Wan than hold onto the new life you were just beginning to carve out for yourself with him while losing your closest friend. 

And so, igniting the purple blade your master had wielded for so long, you thrust out your hand, wrapping your connection to the force around your lover and pulling him back, shoving him against the wall and placing your blade against his throat, all the while looking up at him with what you hoped to be an expression filled with your internal plea that he would understand, that he would still love you after all of this was over. 

Surprise filled the Sith’s features as he looked down at you, and you watched his expression shift between shock that he’d been bested and disappointment. His internal voice came filtering softly into your head, and his words were twinged with a sadness that made your eyes fill with tears. 

“Ah. So I see you’ve made your choice,” he said into your brain. Desperately, you tried to reach out, to tell him that you still loved him, that you just wanted to save Anakin, but his shields were swiftly thrown up before you could plead your case. Your lips parted as a tidal wave of grief washed over you, and you bit your lip as you fought to stop yourself from crying. 

“Good job, sis,” Anakin panted, still out of breath from his fight. Reaching to his belt, he pulled out a pair of force-resistant handcuffs similar to the ones Kenobi had used on you all those months ago, and felt Obi-Wan’s presence within the force vanish as his wrists were locked into place. 

You watched your lover as he glared down at the restraints, looking between them and you with a clenched jaw and stormcloud brow. ‘I’m sorry,’ you mouthed to him, but he just shook his head, sighing through his nose and stumbling forward as Anakin pulled him harshly towards the exit. 

“Help Master Windu,” Anakin called to you over his shoulder, and you turned to see the council member in question sitting up against the wall, looking at you with a dark, knowing expression. Gulping, you numbly walked over to him, crouching down and slinging one of his arms over your shoulder, letting him lean on you as he stood up shakily. 

“Master, I-”

“Save it,” he commanded, starting to walk on unsteady legs. “We’ll talk about this back at the temple, Master (Y/L/N).” 

Feeling your heart begin to sink, you bowed your head and felt cold wash over your body and heart as you stepped outside into the storm, following the Anakin to the ship. 

Technically speaking, you were free from your captivity. But it felt as if there was iron shackles wrapped around your heart, squeezing and constricting and strangling it as your mind tried to catch up with how fast things had changed in the span of less than an hour. 

You’d once told Obi-Wan that you felt like you were being torn apart. Now, as you stepped onto the vessel that would carry you back to Coruscant, you knew that the pure, white Jedi you’d once been and the black, corrupted Sith apprentice you had been turning into had blended into something misshapen and gray. 

The fact was that you had no idea who you were anymore, and it was then that you collapsed as your brain went numb, giving up the fight and giving up trying to figure out what was next. You vaguely heard Anakin shout from somewhere closeby, and you thought you caught a gasp being drawn in by Kenobi’s lips, but it was all quickly drowned out by the dull thud your skull made when it hit the steel floor beneath you. With a sigh, you let your eyes close, surrendering to the nauseating wave of exhaustion that had overtaken you. 

__________________

At this point, you should’ve been used to waking up in an unfamiliar place. And yet it was still with a sense of panic that you awoke, eyes snapping open and head popping up from where it had been resting. 

“Hey, hey, it’s ok,” a comforting voice assured you, and you felt a gentle hand card through your hair. “You’re alright, sis.”

Opening your eyes, the first thing you saw was Obi-Wan, sitting across from you with his cuffed hands resting in his lap. One of his eyebrows were quirked up, but other than faint curiosity, you couldn’t read anything else in his expression as you blinked blearily at him. Upon feeling another caress to your hair, you looked to the side to see Anakin kneeling next to you, considering you with a worried expression. 

With a groan, you sat up, taking in your surroundings. You were on a small ship, laid across a small cot that resided in its far corner. Across from you, there were chairs lining the wall, two of which were being occupied by Obi-Wan and a grumpier-than-ever looking Mace Windu. You looked down at the stump where his hand had once been and saw that someone had wrapped it in gauze, and you sent a questioning look his way, one that he knew was intended to ask if he was alright. He simply nodded, offering you a small quirk of his lips to let you know he was alright. But then it was back to staring angrily between the floor and the Sith to his left. 

“What happened?” you grumbled, looking back to Anakin. 

“You fainted,” he replied, smirking. “The great General (Y/N) actually fainted.”

“I… What?” you asked incredulously. Fainted? You? You were a trained Jedi Master who’d fought in and won more battles than you could count on your fingers. You’d seen corners of the galaxy that some still questioned the existence of. And yet you’d fainted like some sort of damsel? 

“I… You’ve gotta be kidding me,” you stated, shaking your head. 

“Believe me, no one’s joking right now,” Windu piped up. “By the way, I was leaning on YOU for support at the time. I had to carry you one-handed onto the bed I was planning on using.”

“Sorry,” you winced, rubbing the sore spot on your head that had resulted from your collapse. “I guess I was just...overwhelmed.” 

You thought you saw Kenobi’s eyes roll, but when you turned to face him his expression was yet again schooled into one of neutrality, and you felt a pang in your chest upon seeing him act so coldly. 

“Don’t worry,” Anakin said, drawing your eyes back to his. “We’ll be home soon. I know Ahsoka and everyone else is excited to see you again.” 

You struggled to bring a tiny smile to your lips, and you nodded before sitting up. 

“I’m… I’m excited to see everyone, too,” you lied. Anakin opened his mouth to reply, but a beeping noise sounded from the cockpit, and he quickly stood up. 

“I’d better go see what Artoo wants,” he smiled, jogging that way. 

With that, he left you in a room with two men who were both angry at you in their own way, and you shifted uncomfortably as you felt their gaze land on you. Sighing deeply, you turned over and laid back down, facing your back to them and squeezing your eyes shut, almost groaning in frustration as a tear leaked out of your eye. 

Now was not the time for tears. ‘You need to figure this out,’ your mind insisted. ‘Go to sleep, get back to the temple, and then meditate for a solid week until you find some way through this.’ Surrendering to your brain’s insistence, you let yourself fall into a restless sleep, during which you dreamed of yellow eyes and stolen kisses and your life that had been ripped to shreds…


	18. Chapter 18

The two-day journey back to the temple on Coruscant was, needless to say, tense. You tried to spend most of your time in the cockpit with Anakin, away from the stares and eye-rolls that your former master and lover would send your way, and meditated. Despite all of your efforts, though, it was as if your brain was full of white-noise, making it impossible to really process everything that had happened in its entirety. 

Therefor, you almost cried tears of joy as you flew into Coruscant’s atmosphere, finally giving you something new to focus on. You’d been away for a long time, but Coruscant had remained unchanged. Its bright lights and flashy billboards glowed before your eyes, and the first true smile in days finally found its way to your lips. While, as a Jedi, you didn’t truly have a ‘home’, Coruscant was still a familiar environment that you felt you could relax in, and you greedily drank in the sight of it until the Jedi Temple came in view. 

“Welcome back, sis,” Anakin stated, bumping his shoulder against yours. Oddly enough, though, you were hard-pressed to muster any enthusiasm as you gazed upon the five pillars of the place you’d grown up in. And as you thought of all the things that would have to happen once you settled back into its halls, you felt nausea rise up in your belly. You still didn’t feel ready to face the council and Master Windu. But you would have to, and soon. 

Shakily, you stood up as Anakin landed the ship, pushing away from your chair and entering into the main part of the vessel. Your friend quickly strode past you to hook a chain onto the force-suppressors that bound Obi-Wan’s wrists, and you in turn helped your former master stand up. He’d recovered from the initial systemic shock of his amputation, but he was still weak, and as soon as you stepped into the temple’s hangar bay, there was a team of medics and a gorney to assist him to the medical center. As he was taken away, you turned to see Valor being led out by Anakin, who was wearing a smug smirk on his face. 

“Welcome back to the temple, Valor,” he snarked, yanking pointedly on the chain. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

Kenobi didn’t deem this statement worthy of a response, only stumbling forward as Anakin kept pulling him along. 

“I’m going to take him to the detention center,” Skywalker informed you. “Get some rest. You have a meeting with the council first thing tomorrow morning.” 

“Alright,” you nodded, offering him a tight, forced smile. It quickly faded, however, when Obi-Wan turned his head and met your gaze, piercing you with his golden eyes before he was roughly shoved towards the large set of double doors at the far end of the room. Your chest seized in pain as you thought about the betrayal that had resided within his golden orbs, but your attention was pulled away when you felt a hand rest gently on your upper arm. 

“General (Y/L/N),” a soft voice spoke, and you looked up to see a tall woman in a medic uniform standing next to you. “Would you please come with me to the medical bay for an examination?”

“Of course,” you murmured, allowing yourself to be guided further into the temple. 

_____________

“This will sting a bit,” a nurse informed you before sliding a needle into the crook of your elbow. You winced a bit at the pinch, but you forced yourself to relax, knowing that it would be over quickly. It was common for you to have blood work done, considering how often you’d been sent away to various planets for whatever battles you were needed for. You never know what disease or sickness you might have picked up in your travels, and the medical staff wanted to make sure the evil Sith who’d captured you hadn’t exposed you to anything harmful.

You already knew that he hadn’t; even before you’d fallen for him, you’d still known that he wouldn’t intentionally cause you harm. None that you couldn’t handle, at least. But you submitted to the blood tests without complaint, going through the motions as you tried to adjust to being in a place other than the cave you’d called home for five months. 

“Master, please, she isn’t-”

“I just need to talk to her for a short while. Please!” 

You straightened in your seat as you heard a quiet commotion coming from outside your room. You could clearly distinguish one of the voices as belonging to one of the chief doctors here, but the other one… You thought that you’d heard it before, but it wasn’t possible for it to be the person you at first suspected. No, it couldn’t be…

“Master Jinn, would you please-”

Suddenly, your door was pushed open, revealing the tall form of Qui-Gon Jinn standing in your doorway. Your jaw dropped and you felt yourself become light-headed as you stared up at him, shocked. 

“Master (Y/L/N) is still being screened,” you nurse started to say, but you shushed her dazedly, leaning forward to take a closer look at the Jedi who was now walking further into your room. 

“...Qui-Gon?” you questioned, shaking your head in astonishment. “This...this is impossible. I watched you die!”

With a soft smile, the Jedi shook his head and sat down in a chair by your bedside. 

“No, my friend,” he murmured gently. “I didn’t die. I was hurt very badly, but I am still alive. It seems that Obi-Wan spared me.”

“That’s…” You rubbed your temples, unable to complete your thought. 

“I know this is a lot for you to take in,” Master Jinn stated, setting one of his hands over yours. “But I need to ask you something important.”

“...Alright,” you prompted, still reeling from the discovery that he was still living. 

“What did Obi-Wan do to you?” he asked solemnly, causing you to furrow your eyebrows. 

“What do you mean?”

“Did he, at any time, hurt you?” he insisted. “You’ve been with him for months; why? What did he do to you?”

“He didn’t do anything,” you responded defensively. Even though you knew he was a Sith, you still couldn’t help but feel insulted on Kenobi’s behalf. “He never once hurt me; all he wanted was to train me. And he was planning on letting me go.”

A slow, wide smile dawned over Qui-Gon’s face, and he leaned closer to you. 

“Do you know what this means?” he asked in an almost giddy tone. “He did not kill me when he had the chance; he did not hurt you, despite the fact that he had every opportunity to whilst keeping you with him. There is still hope for him!”

Sighing, you ran your fingers through your hair, looking over at Qui-Gon exasperatedly. 

“Hope for him to do what?” you prompted quietly. “Qui-Gon… Obi-Wan isn’t going to become a Jedi again. He believes in the Sith, even if he doesn’t believe in unnecessary violence.” 

“...You called him Obi-Wan.”

“Pardon?”

“Everyone else - Anakin, Ahsoka, the council - everyone calls him by his Sith name,” Qui-Gon pondered, searching over your face. “But… You called him Obi-Wan.” Realization seemed to dawn over his face and you looked up at the nurse and doctor who were still hovering over you. 

“Am I finished with my examination now?” you questioned, and your nurse hurriedly nodded her head. 

“Yes; I still need to test your blood, but-”

“Then I’ll be leaving,” you interrupted, pushing off the hospital bed and heading straight for the door. You could hear the shuffling of robes as Master Jinn scrambled to follow you out, but you pointedly kept your eyes focussed on where you were walking. In that moment of realization, Qui-Gon had seen exactly what Mace Windu had during his fight against Valor. He saw that you still, despite everything, were in love with the Sith. 

“Master (Y/L/N)!” Qui-Gon called, catching up to you and wrapping a hand around your elbow. “(Y/N), please, just-”

“No,” you sighed, pushing the Jedi away from you. Looking around to make sure no one else was in the hallway, you turned to Qui-Gon and spoke in a rushed, quiet tone. 

“Listen to me. I realize that you still think that there’s some way for Obi-Wan to come back, but you’re wrong. I love him, and I refuse to believe that he’s evil like the other Sith, but there’s no coming back from the Dark Side for him. And do you know why? Because you cast him to the side as soon as you found Anakin; you made him feel like he was substandard and worthless, and you hold most of the blame for his fall,” you growled, pointing your finger at his chest as a wave of anger overtook you. A small, distant part of you, the one that still held onto the beliefs of the Jedi that you’d grown up learning, screamed that you shouldn’t give into the anger that surged as you spoke to Qui-Gon, that fits of passion were forbidden. But you ignored it, giving into your feelings until you heard the sound of glass shattering from somewhere behind you. 

Whipping your head around, you saw that one of the decorative lights that were mounted on the wall had suddenly burst, showering the floor in glistening shards of glass, and you realized that you’d subconsciously lashed out with the force as you berated Master Jinn. You knew, distantly, that you should be horrified by this, that you should immediately apologize and go somewhere to meditate, but for some reason you felt better as you looked down at the destruction you’d created. 

“Oh, (Y/N),” Qui-Gon whispered, and you turned to see him looking down at you with a mix of fear, guilt, and pity. Taking a step back, you shook your head, balling your hands into fists as you rode the current of feelings that had welled up in you. 

“If you’d been kinder to him, if you’d chosen him over Anakin like you were supposed to do as his master, he might have never fallen. If the council had just let Anakin be trained by one of the other masters, this never would have happened. If the Code-”

“Careful, Master (Y/L/N),” Qui-Gon suddenly interrupted, stepping into your space and looming over you with a stern countenance. “You’re dangerously close to sounding like a Sith.”

The air was knocked out of your lung as he spoke, as if you’d suddenly been thrown into a tub full of ice water. Shaking your head, you backed away, crushing a piece of glass under your heel as you stared defiantly at the older man before you. 

“(Y/N)!” 

Both you and Master Jinn turned to see Ahsoka jogging down the hall towards you, wide grin stretched across her face. Numbly, you felt her wrap her arms around your waist, and you instinctively hugged her back, staring over her shoulder at Qui-Gon as she spoke. 

“I’m so glad to see you back! We’ve missed you so much,” she grinned. “God, and you have no idea how hard it’s been dealing with Anakin while you were away.”

“I’m happy to see you too,” you spoke distractedly, finally pulling your gaze away to look down into her blue eyes. “I want to hear all about what I missed when I was away. But I’m feeling kind of tired right now; tomorrow?”

With an understanding smile, Ahsoka nodded her head, squeezing your arm before stepping away. 

“Totally. I’ll see you then, (Y/N). Get some sleep!”

“I will, Snips,” you lied. Forcing a tight smile, you turned away and started walking, sensing anxiety rising up in your chest. Everything felt wrong in that moment, and you felt as if you were going to break down sobbing at any moment. Your hands started shaking as you walked, and the two halves of your mind that were constantly fighting each other seemed to drown out everything around you until your ears were filled with the sound of your blood pumping. Thankfully, your feet seemed to have developed a mind of their own, and they carried you quickly, almost at a sprint, towards some dark corner of the temple that you’d never been in before. In fact, as you entered into a vast, dismal hallway, you didn’t know where you were for a split second as your mind caught up with your feet. 

The prison wing.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like there was a distinct lack of Valor in the last chapter, so I updated again today! Hope y'all enjoy! As always, I love your comments; let me know what you think of the story so far, and if you have any theories about where this story is going, please share!

The heavy sounds of your footfalls echoed in the cavernous hall around you. Along both walls, cages made with force-suppressant iron stood tall, reverberating in the force as an empty, cold space. 

“Master (Y/L/N)?” a voice to your left said, and you turned to see a shorter, more shadowed hallway branching off. Two senior padawans were posted as guards outside the stone door of a cell, and you realized that this was the cage within the temple that was reserved for Sith, if a Jedi were to ever capture one. Within the concrete was a thick mesh of force- and noise-cancelling durasteel, and there were no windows within. You’d heard of the ominous room before, but this was your first time laying eyes on it. 

“I-I’m sorry to ask, General, but what are you doing here?” one of the padawans once again prompted, and you snapped your gaze back to her, returning your focus to the two guards. 

“I need to speak to the prisoner,” you murmured, and you watched as the two young adults fidgeted. 

“The council said no one was to-”

“They gave me new instructions. I’m supposed to interrogate him since I’m the one who knows him best,” you lied cooly, not hesitating to meet their gaze. “Five months as his prisoner has given me an idea of how his mind works. It’ll only take a second, I promise you.”

Looking between each other, the padawans still didn’t move from their posts in front of the door, and you put on a mask of impatience. 

“If you want, I can pull one of the masters from their current council meeting and-”

“N-no, that won’t be necessary,” the padawan spoke quickly, shaking her head. “You’re fine. Just a few minutes, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you replied. With relief, you watched as they shifted away from the door, and you took a deep, calming breath before stepping forward and opening it. Walking in quickly, keeping your eyes down, you pushed the door shut behind you and slowly, slowly, looked up. 

There was only one small light bulb fastened to the ceiling, and thus the room was almost too dark to see in. What’s more, the lack of connection to the force was suffocating, and your lungs struggled to take in deep, even breaths as a sudden feeling of claustrophobia set into your system. Looking around, you saw an empty cot pushed up against one wall and a tiny doorway, presumably leading into a bathroom area. Frowning, you looked around once more to locate the Sith that seemed to be missing from the scene, but a silky voice soon sounded in your ear from directly behind you. 

“So, Master (Y/L/N),” a familiar tone drawled, and you whipped around to see Obi-Wan leaning up against the wall to the left of the door, watching you with a cold, predatory smile etched into his features. “How kind of you to bestow upon me the honor of a visit.” 

“Obi-Wan,” you sighed, placing a hand over your chest. “You...startled me.”

Laughing, the Sith pushed against the wall, taking step after step forward, keeping his cat-like gaze fixed upon you.

“I do apologize for that,” he sighed unconvincingly. His face suddenly hardened, and his voice dropped into a growl as he continued backing you up against the far wall. “Why are you here? You’ve made it very clear that you want nothing to do with me.”

“Obi-Wan, it’s not like that.”

“Oh? Is it not? Because, as my memory holds it, you were the one to assist in my capture, leading me back to this hellish temple,” he accused. 

“I just wanted to save Anakin,” you defended weakly, feeling tears spring to your eyes as your back was pressed against the wall. “I didn’t want you to kill him. But I didn’t… I didn’t want…” Heaving a tremendous sigh, you pressed your hands over your face, trying to control the wobbling of your bottom lip and the broken tone of your voice. The panic from earlier was still present within you, and the contempt in Obi-Wan’s tone just pushed you closer to your breaking point; it was all you could do not to burst into sobs right then.

But, with a surprisingly gentle touch, you felt fingers wrap around your wrists, pulling your hands away as a familiar pair of eyes gazed down at you. 

“You really think I would kill the man you love as a brother in front of you?” Valor asked quietly. “(Y/N), surely you must know at this point that I wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“I… I didn’t know,” you whispered, shaking your head. “I thought you’d killed Qui-Gon, and I thought that you hated Anakin.”

“Oh, make no mistake, I would love nothing more than to run him through,” was his dry response. “But… Well. I’m assuming by now you’ve found out that my former Jedi master is still breathing?”

You nodded. 

“(Y/N)... Think about this. I have the power to kill whoever I please. I could have cut off Qui-Gon and Windu’s heads. A few months back, I could have killed the famed “Chosen One” and his little apprentice. But I didn’t. Because of you. Even though I hurt them all, I never landed the final blow. For you,” he intoned, taking a step back. “I’ve never been in love before, but even I know that killing your significant other’s friends isn’t conducive to a healthy relationship. But, I suppose, neither is kidnapping them.” 

Feeling your breath hitch in your lungs, you looked up with wide eyes at the man who still held your heart. 

“You love me? Still, after all this?”

“Of course,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I thought you’d know that.”

“You’ve never said it before,” you whispered, looking down at your feet. 

“I didn’t think I needed to,” he explained, taking a seat on the edge of his cot. “Make no mistake, I’m still quite upset about being captured. And I think it’s high time we had a serious discussion about your future.”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you tentatively sat down next to him, letting your shoulders just barely brush against each other. 

“My future?” you questioned. 

“Yes,” he nodded. “(Y/N), when you came into my cell, you were so pale that I thought I’d encountered a ghost. Now, I don’t know what has you so upset, but I’m willing to guess that it has something to do with being back here?”

“...More or less.”

“Love, that should be a clear sign that things are different,” he murmured. “I saw it in your eyes on the ship when we were still coming here; every time you looked at Skywalker or Windu, you would flinch. Why do you think that is?”

You sighed, considering your words before speaking. 

“Because I know things can’t go back to the way they were,” you answered. “Because of the things you’ve taught me; because I’m starting to question everything I once believed in wholeheartedly.”

“Exactly,” he commended in a soft tone, as if he were explaining something to a child. And that’s what you felt like right now - a child that had lost its way, scared and confused. Despite it all, however, you found comfort in his voice, and you found yourself leaning against his shoulder as he continued speaking. 

“Something has to give, sweet one,” he stated. “You need to choose your next course of action.”

“What can I do, though? What should I do?”

“Only you can decide that. You could choose to ignore the flaws within the council and the Code and continue on, making your peace with them and remaining a Jedi. Or you could leave.”

After this he paused, turning to you and lifting your chin up to gaze into your eyes. 

“And you know that you can always be with me,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb across your bottom lip. “I will eventually escape, (Y/N), and when I do, you could always come with me. We could resume your training, and we could be together.”

Right at that second, you were so tempted to say yes, to confess that that was all you wanted, to go back to your cave and have him hold you in his arms. But just as you opened your mouth to say this, Anakin and Ahsoka’s faces flashed through your mind, and you closed your eyes as you thought of the pain you’d cause them if you left. 

“I...I don’t want to hurt my friends,” you whispered, opening your eyes once again to peer up at Obi-Wan. 

“I know, sweet one,” he said. “But eventually you’ll have to make your decision based on what you and you alone want. You can’t live your life in misery just to keep them happy. It will crush you.”

“I know,” you muttered. “It’s just… It’s so hard. I want to make everyone happy. And… And I don’t want to hurt you again. I don’t want to do what Qui-Gon did.”

For a moment, you saw a deep, painful expression cross his features, but it was soon replaced with a small, sad smile, and he slowly leaned forward. 

“You’ve already done more for me than anyone else ever has,” he stated. “You gave yourself to me and let me in; you forgot about the Code you’d sworn yourself over to and chose to let me love you. You chose me, (Y/N). And that’s someone no one else has ever done.” 

The tears that had been threatening to spill finally made their way down your cheeks, and you held Obi-Wan’s face between your palms as you leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, trying to pour all of your emotions into it as you felt his arms wrap around your waist. 

The kiss didn’t last long enough for your liking, and it was with reluctance that you both pulled away for air, gasping and looking into each other’s eyes. 

“I love you,” you sighed, running your fingers through the bit of bangs that had fallen into his face. 

“And I love you, sweet one,” was his reply, and you let a small smile come to your lips as you leaned in for a second kiss. 

However, the sound of the door opening sent both of you stumbling to your feet, and you just barely managed to step away from the Sith and wipe the tears from your cheeks before Mace Windu came walking into the cell baring his trademark scowl that you’d become so familiar with as a padawan. 

“Master (Y/L/N),” he grumbled. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I-I-”

“Don’t bother trying to explain yourself,” he directed. “Might I have a word with you outside?”

Gulping, you shot Obi-Wan one last glance before slowly walking through the door. Slamming the door shut behind you both, Master Windu started marching down the hallway, not bothering to look back to see if you were following or not. Of course, you were, and you kept pace at his side as he started speaking in a hushed tone.

“Look, I don’t know what the fuck you were doing in there, but I hope to all that I hold holy that you didn’t sneak off to canoodle with your new Sith boyfriend,” he fumed. 

“Master, I-”

“I’m not your master anymore,” he stated cooly, coming to a stop at the entrance to the prison wing. His words were like a punch to the gut, and you looked up at him as he continued to speak to you. 

“I’m not your master. You were made a knight a long time ago, which means you should know better,” he said. “I don’t need to tell you that falling in love is against the Code you swore allegiance to. And I don’t need to remind you that the Sith are the Jedi’s greatest enemy. Now I know that you’ve been through a lot, and that this is probably some fucked up version of Stockholm's Syndrome, so I will let this one incident slide.”

“I don’t have-”

“Don’t you dare interrupt me, (Y/N),” he ordered, stepping closer so he could loom over you. “Now I practically raised you, so I know this isn’t you. I’m going to give you until the council meeting tomorrow to figure this out, but after that, I will not hesitate to hold you accountable to any mistakes or violations to the Code you commit. Is that clear?”

Clenching your teeth, you fought to control the tidal wave of rage that flooded your senses, and it was with a hard tone Windu had never heard you use before that you replied. 

“Crystal, sir.” 

With that, you turned on your heel and walked away, heading towards your room so you could do some much-needed meditation and think over what Obi-Wan had told you. 

Because he was right. Something did have to give. And if your encounters with your former teacher and Qui-Gon had shown you anything, it was that you couldn’t stay here. 

You just wished you knew where it was you should go.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end, you guys.

“Anakin!”

“Hello, Chancellor,” the young Jedi replied to the hologram before him.

“How are you, my young friend?”

“Better than ever,” he said confidently. “I finally managed to catch the Sith I was telling you about.”

“The one that took your friend?” Palpatine asked with a carefully neutral expression on his face. 

“That’s the one! I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have (Y/N) back and that scum in prison.”

“You should be very proud of yourself,” the old man commended. “What did I tell you? The council should trust you with important missions such as these for often! Mace Windu was wise to let you aid his search for Master (Y/L/N).”

“Well… I don’t know about that,” Anakin drawled with forced modesty. 

“I do, though,” Palpatine insisted. “They would do well to remember this in the future. Tell me, when is it that this Darth Valor is going to stand trial?”

“I can’t tell you tha-”

“Come now, Anakin! I’m your friend, aren’t I?”

“Yes, but I really shouldn’t.”

“Hm. In any case, I am very proud of you,” the Chancellor grinned. “Now, I must attend to some pressing matters, but I shall talk to you soon, I hope.”

“As do I, Chancellor.”

With that, Anakin turned his communicator off just in time to hear a knock at his quarters’ door. Using the Force, he slid it open to reveal your form standing there, twisting the hem of your long, now-unfamiliar robes around your fingers. 

“(Y/N)? What are you doing up this early?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” you said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind you. 

Several hours had passed since your visit to Obi-Wan and your reprimand from your former master, and you’d spent the entirety of the night tossing and turning in bed, your mind and body tense and taut with the weight of all the emotions dwelling within you. Anxiety over your meeting with the council today, regret for snapping at Qui-Gon and Master Windu, anger at yourself for getting into this situation to begin with, and a dark foreboding unlike anything you’ve ever felt, as if something menacing lay just out of sight. You felt as if something were about to happen, something bad, and you didn’t know if it was just a result from having such frayed nerves or if you truly were having a premonition. 

“The Chancellor wanted to speak to me,” Anakin said, bringing you back to the present. “He was glad to hear you’re back safe and sound.” 

“Oh,” you sighed, taking a seat on Anakin’s bed. “That’s...good to hear.” In all honesty, you’d never liked the Chancellor very much. He set you on edge for some reason, even though your friend insisted that he was a good man. 

“I was actually thinking of paying him a visit today,” Anakin stated, sitting next to you. “I’ve recently been going to see him after my missions. Talking with him really seems to help me.” 

“I’m glad,” you replied absentmindedly, staring at the wall in front of you with an almost blank expression. You heard him heave a heavy breath, and suddenly the metal fingers of his cybernetic hand were settled on your knee. 

“(Y/N), you’ve gotta tell me what’s going on,” he insisted. Frowning, you opened your mouth to deny that anything was wrong, but the look he shot you said that he wouldn’t believe it if you tried to pass this off. 

“I… It’s really complicated, Anakin,” you murmured, looking down at your hands. 

“Hey,” he whispered. “I’m your brother, remember? You can tell me anything.”

You felt tears spring to your eyes as he said this, because you knew that no, you couldn’t. How did you even begin to tell him that you’d fallen in love with the very Sith that had kidnapped you and almost killed Qui-Gon? How did you begin to explain the war raging in your heart, tugging your soul in two as you teetered between the dark and light side of the Force? 

“If I tell you,” you muttered, feeling a tear slide down your cheek, “then you’ll hate me.”

“I could never hate you, sis,” Anakin swore, furrowing his eyebrows. “How could you say a thing like that?”

Feeling your lip begin to tremble, you tried valiantly to hold in your sobs, but eventually the pressure in your throat became too much to bear, and you quickly found yourself being held against his chest as you cried into his shirt. Crushing him into your embrace, you shook your head, fighting to regain your steady breathing and find the words you so desperately wanted to say. 

“I… Everything is wrong,” you murmured, setting your forehead against his sternum. “Have you ever...questioned the council?”

For a long moment, Anakin was quiet before he spoke. 

“(Y/N)... I know I don’t have to tell you that I have,” he finally said. 

“No, I don’t mean disagreeing with them,” you clarified, pulling back to look up into his crystalline eyes. “I mean, have you ever questioned if they’re right? About the Force, about the Code, about how the Jedi live.” 

Another long pause. 

“I have,” was his quiet reply. “More and more as this war drags on. And… The Code is just… Well. I know I don’t have to tell you that I’ve broken it. I’ve grown more than attached to you, sis.”

“Not to mention Senator Amidala,” you deadpanned, causing his head to whip down to look at you. 

“I have no idea-”

“Anakin. You’re as subtle as a herd of Banthas. Need I remind you about Geonosis?”

Sighing and rolling his eyes, you felt his flesh fingers poke into your side. 

“Even when she’s crying, she has to give me a hard time,” he joked, causing you to crack your first smile since walking in. A soft chuckle emitted from him before he spoke again. 

“Listen, setting Padme aside-”

“Ooh, first name basis, huh?”

“...Anyways,” he continued, ignoring you as a blush started to creep over his cheeks, “I know what you mean. I...I’m far from being a perfect Jedi, and I hate following the rules even more than Qui-Gon. But...what you’re talking about, it sounds like you want to leave the Order. Surely you don’t mean to-”

“I don’t know what I mean to do!” you groaned, standing up and starting to pace. “Ever since I got back, I just… I can’t find what I had when I was here before. The...the contentment I had with following the council’s orders and pretending like I agreed with the Code. I can’t do that anymore! And I don’t know what to do about it! I...I don’t know if I want to be a Jedi, Ani. I know that a Jedi isn’t supposed to feel as scared as I do now.”

Watching you with sharp, intense eyes, Anakin stood up and took your hands, leaning down to speak quietly to you. 

“When I first came here as a child,” he told you, “do you know what one of the first things Master Yoda said to me was?” When you shook your head no, he sighed and straightened up, looking down. 

“He said that he sensed great fear within me, and he told me that fear was a path to the Dark Side,” he muttered, causing you to gulp. “Do you know what that did to me? Do you know why I’m so reckless now, always throwing myself into danger? It’s because I’m terrified of letting myself be afraid. And isn’t that the most twisted, confusing thing? I’ve been that way since I was a child, (Y/N). That’s what the council did to me. So believe me when I tell you that I know exactly how you feel. And whatever you decide, however you choose to act, just know that I understand where you’re coming from. And I will always, always, love you.”

Fresh tears sprang to your eyes, and you quickly hugged Anakin once more, as tightly as you were physically able to. His arms, in turn, wrapped around your smaller frame and held you to him, petting through your hair soothingly and shushing your soft cries. You didn’t know how long the two of you stood like that, but when you pulled away, you felt almost lighter, as if some of the weight on your shoulders had been taken off just by the knowledge that your friend knew, he really knew, what you were going through. And he still loved you despite all of it.

“Now,” he smiled softly, taking a step back. “I think that you’re entitled to, just once, break the rules with me. So I think we should get in my speeder, blow off your meeting with the council this morning, and get some waffles. I know exactly the diner we should go to.” 

Letting out a tiny laugh, you gratefully grinned up at him, nodding your head. 

“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had, little brother,” you replied. “Let’s get the fuck out of this place.” 

________________

The two padawans didn’t talk as they stood at their posts. They instead simply engaged in their own separate meditations, focusing on the importance of what they were doing. Out of all of the senior padawans, they had been chosen for this job, and they were determined to fulfill it. 

And so the events that next transpired were no fault of theirs. They did their duty, and they died doing so. 

“Excuse me, sir? Who are you? How did you get here?” one of them asked, watching as the hooded figure crept closer and closer to them. 

The only answer they received was in the dull humming of a red lightsaber as it was ignited, and it only took a second for them to draw their last breaths, struck down too soon to sound an alarm. 

The door that they’d been guarding was now opened by the same figure that had just stepped over their prostrate forms, and a voice as thin and wispy as old paper sounded.

“Come, my apprentice. We have much to do.”

“They didn’t need to die, Master,” Darth Valor stated, a cold gleam shining in his eyes as he stepped out of his cage. 

“Oh, but they did, young one. And they will not be the first to do so by the end of this day.”

__________________

The diner that Anakin led you into was simply called “Dex’s”, and as soon as you walked in, a droid was escorting you to a booth by a window with two cups of jawa juice in its hands. 

“You want your regular, hon?” it asked Anakin, causing you to laugh. 

“Yes, please,” he smiled. “Two, actually.”

“Comin’ right up.”

The droid wheeled itself away, and you smirked at your friend as he made himself comfortable in his seat. 

“‘Hon’?” you giggled, and he rolled his eyes, smiling and looking out at the street outside, not quite yet busy as the sun started rolling over the horizon. 

“What can I say? Droids like me,” he shrugged. 

“Well. So does a certain Senator,” you laughed mischievously. Face-palming, your friend bowed and shook his head. 

“You’re not going to let me live this down, are you?”

“Nope,” you answered, popping the ‘p’. “Tell me about how you two got together.”

“It was before the war,” he smiled, looking at the table fondly. “I’d had a crush on her ever since first meeting her on Tatooine. When I was assigned to protect her on Naboo, we got closer.”

“Oh, I bet you did.”

Anakin laughed and used the Force to tug a little on your hair, and you retaliated by kicking him softly under the table. 

“Seriously, though, I remember how you were back then,” you reminisced. “You were terrible at flirting! And that haircut…”

“Oh, come on. I couldn’t help the haircut; it was mandatory!”

“It was a sin,” you clarified matter-of-factly, sipping on your juice. “How did you manage to get Padme Amidala to like you?”

“I fed her pears,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head self-consciously. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t the...smoothest guy in the galaxy. But she saw something in me, and we got married after-”

“Wait,” you interrupted, almost choking on your drink. “You two are MARRIED?”

“...Yeah…” he admitted sheepishly. 

“...Little brother, you’re a mess,” you chuckled, looking up when two huge stacks of waffles were sat in front of you both. 

“I know. But I’m your mess,” he grinned, picking up his silverware after pouring an ungodly amount of syrup onto his plate. You, too, picked up the syrup and started pouring it, cutting into a waffle afterwards and taking a bite. Truth be told, they were probably the best waffles you’d ever tasted, and not many words were exchanged as you two busied yourselves with eating. 

In fact, both of you were so silent and so intent on the task at hand that you nearly jumped out of your skins when Anakin’s communicator rang out. Rolling his eyes, he took it out of his pocket and made a motion for you to stay silent as he answered it, revealing the blue form of Master Yoda and Windu. 

“Master Skywalker,” Mace scowled. “Do you know where Master (Y/L/N) is?”

“I’m sorry, Masters, but I have no idea-”

“Honest, you must be with us,” Yoda interrupted. “Escaped, Darth Valor has.”

Your forks both clattered to the table as Anakin shared a shocked look with you. Disbelievingly, you shook your head, looking down at the table before you. How was that possible? That cage was specifically designed to keep Sith in. There was no way he could have gotten out.

“We’re afraid he’s taken her again,” Windu continued on. “Or that she’s helped him to escape.”

“What? She would never-”

Anakin’s response was cut off by his communicator buzzing yet again, alerting him that he had another transmission coming through. 

“Listen. I need to go, but I’m on my way back to the temple. I’m sure (Y/N) will show up. Skywalker out.”

Standing up, Anakin looked at the caller ID on the incoming call, motioning for you to follow him out into the street. 

“Chancellor,” he answered, walking with you quickly to his speeder. “I can’t really talk right n-”

“I’m afraid the Chancellor is indisposed at the moment.”

You and Anakin froze in your tracks as the familiar, smooth cadence of Obi-Wan’s hologram flickered to life, revealing him standing next to a bound and gagged Chancellor Palpatine. That same infuriating, cold smirk that he’d had when he first met you was spread across his features, and it was with a dark, threatening tone that your friend spoke to him. 

“Let him go, Valor,” he demanded, but the Sith only laughed. 

“I would absolutely love it if you tried to make me, young Master Skywalker. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble tracking this transmission. Why don’t you come and get him?”

“I swear, if you hurt him-”

“Oh, dear, Anakin! Do you really think I would kill the beloved Chancellor in cold blood? I’m not a heathen, you know. No, Sheev Palpatine will be perfectly safe, on two conditions,” Valor continued. “Firstly, you will come find us within twelve hours. I’ll give you twelve hours to locate me, or else… Well. I can’t promise I won’t grow bored of his company and decide to find a better use for him. It’s about time someone else replaced him in office, after all. Don’t you think so, Master (Y/L/N)?”

Your jaw dropped, and you took a step back, not realizing that you were in frame next to Anakin. 

“Oh, yes, I can see you, sweet one,” he grinned, tilting his head to the side as he studied you. “I must say, I enjoyed having you as my captive much more than-”

“Your second condition,” Anakin ground out from behind clenched teeth. 

“Ah, yes, forgive me,” Obi-Wan chuckled. “Secondly, you must come alone. I will know if someone else is with you, and I can assure you that the Chancellor won’t survive the let down if you fail to follow through with my requests. Now. I must be going. See you soon, Chosen One.”

With that, the holograms disappeared, leaving you with an incredibly angry Anakin and a queasy feeling building up in your chest. 

“Anakin-”

“No, (Y/N),” he growled, jumping into the speeder. “This is the last time he threatens one of my friends. I’m dropping you off at the temple, and then I’m going after him.”

“Anakin, you don’t even know where he is,” you argued. “And you can’t face him alone. He could have killed you the last time you fought him!”

“I can’t just sit around and wait for him to murder the Chancellor, either,” he said. “And I programmed my communicator to automatically trace calls I receive. I know exactly where he’s headed.”

“Where is that?”

“Mustafar.”


	21. Chapter 21

You paced your room, wringing your hands and agonizing over Obi-Wan’s call and the state it had sent Anakin into.

After getting back to the temple, both you and Anakin had sprinted into the council’s chambers, quickly explaining that Chancellor Palpatine was being held captive and the conditions of his kidnapper. Master Windu had instructed Anakin to stay behind and discuss what to do with the rest of the council, ordering you to leave the room but stay in the temple. 

“We’ll talk about your avoidance of your scheduled meeting with us later, my former padawan,” he’d growled, and the look in his eyes had told you not to push him any farther, that he wasn’t to be trifled with in that moment. And so you’d reluctantly walked back to your chambers, where you’d been replaying Obi-Wan’s message in your mind over and over again for the past 10 minutes. 

You were still in shock that he’d managed to escape. His cell was overly fortified; cut off from the Force, he was powerless to release himself. The only explanation was that someone from the outside helped him escape. But how could they have gotten into the temple? Was it possible that a Jedi assisted him? 

Also, there was a part of his message that seemed out of place - when he addressed you. ‘It’s about time someone else replaced him in office, after all. Don’t you think so, Master (Y/L/N)?’ he’d said. But what did he mean by that? Why had he brought up the length of Chancellor Palpatine’s term, of all things? 

“Maybe he didn’t mean anything by it…” you murmured to yourself. But there was a tiny part in the back of your head that kept reminding you that no, Obi-Wan wouldn’t just say that for no reason. He’d already threatened the politician enough for Anakin to know that he was serious; mentioning an end to his term was a bit overkill. But why would that matter, then? Why had he brought it to your attention?

Now that you thought of it, the Chancellor had been leading the Senate for an unprecedented amount of time. Usually, a new Chancellor was selected every few years or so, but Palpatine had held this power since several years before the Clone Wars began. Granted, during a time of war it was normal not to make any overly-large changes in government, but it was still incredibly odd. 

Furrowing your eyebrows in frustration and confusion, you went to your desk and pulled out a data pad, knowing that it would bother you if you didn’t look into this further. Quickly typing in his name, you immediately found a bunch of articles and biographies of him, all of which you bypassed. You already knew his story enough as it was, and you figured that, if there was something suspicious, it wouldn’t be in the public record. However, there was a video file that popped up from one of his speeches, and you figured that it was at least a place to start. 

Clicking on it, you watched as his face filled the screen, addressing the Senate as he spoke about the war and what he was planning on doing to stop it and the Separatists. As he started speaking, though, you found yourself focusing less on his words and more on his voice. Something about it sent chills down your spine, setting you on edge. As soon as that video ended, you clicked on another one which happened to have Anakin in it. You watched as Palpatine draped a metal of honor or something like on around your friends neck, smiling a withered, almost...hungry smile as he watched the young man bow his head before him. 

“Knight Skywalker,” he intoned, “You have fought bravely, and I am so proud to call you my comrade and friend. You’ve grown greatly in the time I’ve known you, and I’m simply thrilled to hear of your progress as a General in the Republic army.” 

Feeling a cold hand wrap itself around your heart, you paused the video and rewound it by a few seconds, not believing what you’d just heard. ‘It can’t be,’ you said to yourself, feeling a tidal wave of panic unlike any other wash over your heart, leaving you to suffocate. 

“I’m simply thrilled to hear of your progress as a General-”

Leaping up out of your seat, you hurled the data pad across the room, shattering it on the far wall as a memory you’d tried to bury deep down in your consciousness made its way to the forefront of your mind. 

‘My apprentice has told me much about you… He says you’ve been growing in strength since the beginning of your training. I’m simply thrilled to hear of your progress.’

It was Darth Sidious’s words that now filled your ears, and your hands covered your open mouth in horror at what you’d just figured out. 

“Chancellor Palpatine,” you whispered, watching as tears of shock warped your vision, “is the Sith we’ve been looking for. He’s Obi-Wan’s master.

“Palpatine is Darth Sidious.”

_____________________

You gave yourself one minute to panic. One minute to give in to the feelings swirling in your chest and mind. Sixty seconds to think of the impossibility of it all. 

You thought of why Obi-Wan would tell you this. Why had he warned you now, of all times, of this horrible truth? He could have confessed his master’s identity to you at any point, but he chose now. Why? 

‘You know why,’ the dark part of your brain whispered. ‘Because Anakin isn’t going to listen to reason; nothing is going to stop him from flying to Mustafar to face the Sith that he’d grown to hate so much. And when he goes there, he’s going to be faced with not one, but two powerful users of the dark side. He’s going to fight Darth Valor, and he’s going to either win or lose.’

You recalled what Obi-Wan had once said to you, that he would never kill the man you loved like a brother, even if he hated him. So, if he loses, you still held hope that your lover would spare him. 

But his friend is on the line; Anakin doesn’t know not to trust Palpatine, and he still loved him dearly. You knew your friend would fight tooth and nail to protect the people he cares about, and you knew, deep down, that he would win this fight. He would kill Obi-Wan, and Sidious would be left with no apprentice and the Chosen One right there with him. 

Sixty seconds. One minute to fear and hate and burn, to give in to the dark, consuming feelings that were eating you from the inside out, that screamed about how unfair this whole situation was. One minute to feel. 

But after that one minute came the time to act. 

It was with the blink of an eye that you took off sprinting out your door, reaching out with the force to try and sense where your friend was. With a frustrated growl, you realised that he wasn’t in the temple, that you couldn’t feel him anywhere close. Running to the hangar bay, you scanned the room, praying that he hadn’t left yet, but when you saw Mace Windu storming around angrily, you knew that your prayers weren’t about to come true. 

“Where’s Anakin?” you demanded, coming to a halt before him. 

“About to get himself killed, that’s where,” he growled. “We told him to wait and not do anything rash, but oh, no, he just had to hop in the first ship he saw and take off to-”

You didn’t wait for him to finish ranting before walking away towards the first ship capable of lightspeed that you saw. 

“Just where the fuck do you think you’re going?” he demanded, following after you. 

“I need to go help him,” you stated impatiently. 

“No, (Y/N),” he insisted, yanking you to a stop with the superior strength of his new prosthetic, metal hand. “You need to calm down. You are in strict violation of the Code, and I’m to blame for letting this go on for as long as it has. I’m ordering you to stay here and accept whatever disciplinary action the council decides to take.”

“But Anakin is flying into a trap!” you exclaimed. “Chancellor Palpatine isn’t who we think he is. He’s the Sith Lord we’ve been looking for! He’s Darth Sidious!”

“That’s not possible,” your former master dismissed, but you just shook your head and used the force to pry his fingers off of you. 

“It’s the truth,” you insisted. “He’s flying into a trap; I have to go help him.”

“Even if that is true, which it isn’t,” Windu continued, “no one is chasing after Skywalker before we have time to-”

“There is no time!” you interrupted. “And you know what? If you try to stop me from doing this, then I’m not coming back.”

Both of you sucked in a deep breath, surprised at your words. But, even though it was said in the heat of the moment, you knew it was true. You couldn’t stay here, especially if they were going to allow Anakin to race headfirst into a suicide mission. And you couldn’t be the Jedi you once were. 

The silence that stretched between you and your former master was deafening, and it took a while for him to eventually open his mouth to speak. 

“(Y/N),” he murmured. “Is this about the Sith that you think you love?”

Clenching your jaw, you shook your head. 

“No,” you answered. “This is for me. I’m making my own decisions, and I’ve decided that I can’t do this anymore. I can’t serve a council I don’t agree with and conform to a Code I don’t believe in. I’m doing this for me.”

“In that case,” he sighed, stepping forward, “Good luck. Even if I’m...disappointed in what you’re doing, I wish you only the best.” Inclining his head towards you, took a step back. 

“May the force be with you, (Y/N).”

Swallowing down the sudden wave of tears that threatened to spill as you bid your old teacher goodbye, you nodded and turned around, hopping into your ship and starting its engines. 

“Please, Anakin,” you begged as you took off, setting your course for Mustafar, “Please just hang in there. I’m coming for you, little brother.”

______________

Darth Valor paced back and forth in front of the viewpoint, looking down at the river of lava below. A faint, orange light was reflected over his form, and his brow was drawn low as he tried in vain to release his feelings to the force. 

He had complete faith that you would receive his hidden message. But he couldn’t help but feel dread as he contemplated what he knew was about to happen. He’d served his master well in his years as a Sith, but he could sense Sidious’s hunger for the Chosen One with every passing second. He would deliver Obi-Wan to the slaughter in exchange for a younger, more powerful apprentice in a heartbeat, without remorse. And, all the while, Anakin had no idea that he was being played. 

All of this would happen whether or not he cooperated with his master. Sidious was powerful, far too powerful for Obi-Wan to defeat him, even with his skill as a Sith. The only hope he had left, as small and seemingly hopeless as it was, was that the prophecy was true, that Anakin could end the Sith once and for all. 

Obi-Wan didn’t know if that meant he was destined to perish at the hand of the Chosen One as well. But he did know that, if the prophecy was to come true, at least you would be safe from the monster he called his Master. And, as he stared out at the fiery planet outside, he realized that that was something he was willing to die for. 

But he still hoped that, instead, it was something he could live for. For now, though, he waited for the Chosen One to land on the planet where the fate of the force would finally be decided.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about to get REAL y'all.

The first thing Anakin felt as he stepped out of his ship was the heat. As a child of Tatooine, he was used to sweltering weather; he embraced it, hating the harsh bite of the cold. But the fever of Mustafar was consuming, stifling. No matter how deeply he breathed, he still felt as if all of the oxygen in the atmosphere was being stolen by the flames that cast an ominous light over everything. 

“Wait with the ship,” he instructed Artoo, eyes trained on the facility that rested on the other side of the landing strip. “And send a message to the temple to let them know we got here. And...tell them to tell (Y/N) I’m sorry.”

With that, he pushed down any fear or doubt that he felt and stalked confidently across the clearing, using the force to open the doors that lay before him.

The hairs on the back of his neck instantly stood up when he saw what rested in the entry room. Which was, in fact, nothing at all. It was just an empty room, no droids or lifeforms to be seen. He’d expected Valor to be accompanied at least by a few battle droids, or perhaps for the Sith himself to be waiting at the door to ambush him. But nothing of the sort was found. The only thing to be seen was an innocent-looking room, and the only thing to be heard was silence. 

Clearing his throat simply to break the quiet around him, Anakin walked further in, cautious and tense, like a spring being held taught. 

“Alright, Valor,” he breathed, “Where are you?”

Making his way into the inner chambers, he was still met with nothing, and he was starting to wonder if he’d somehow made a miscalculation, if Valor’s communicator hadn’t led to this facility at all. But then he felt it - a force presence so strong that it rang in his ears and blurred his vision for a split second before he got his bearings. Confusion addled his senses - Valor had not been that strong within the force during their past encounters. So, either he’d somehow managed to transcend further into the dark side in the past few hours, or the other Sith, this Darth Sidious the Jedi had been hearing whispers about for years, was here. Gulping at the prospect, a moment of doubt washed over Master Skywalker. But he was quick to trample it down, shaking his head and reinforcing his mental shields against the dark that was crashing down on them. 

“I’m the Chosen One,” he whispered, continuing to walk along. “I will destroy the Sith; I will bring balance to the Force.” It had been a mantra he’d repeated in his head any time he felt afraid since he was a small padawan. He could do this; he could do anything. He wouldn’t give into fear like Master Yoda thought. He would prove himself and prove the council wrong for all the times they’d doubted him. 

Continuing along, he started canvassing the rooms, trying to feel where the presence was coming from exactly. The further in he went, the closer he came, until he opened a wide set of double doors that led him into a room whose walls were almost completely made out of viewports, casting the space in an orange and red glow from the lava river outside. And there, in the very center of the room, was Chancellor Palpatine, wrists bound to a chair. Behind him, a figure stood in a long, black cloak, head bowed so that the only thing visible under its hood was the bottom half of a bearded face stretched into a smirk. 

“So you’ve finally come,” the figure drawled, keeping its eyes on the ground. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d got my message.” 

“I did,” Anakin growled, drawing his saber with his flesh hand, his cybernetic one clenched into a fist by his side. “And I’m only going to say this once - let my friend go and submit to arrest.”

With a dark chuckle, the Sith finally straightened up and cast the cloak off of its shoulders, letting it pool on the ground at his feet. 

“Come now, Chosen One,” Valor drawled. “Do you truly expect that to happen?”

“No,” Anakin admitted, taking a step closer. “I expect to kill you.” 

“A bold statement,” Valor commented, stepping around the Chancellor. “But, as I recall it, during our last encounter, you had to be saved by our friend Master (Y/L/N). I don’t see her here now to help you.”

“I don’t need her here,” Anakin growled. “She’s safe on Coruscant, far from the Sith filth that stole her in the first place.”

For one brief, fleeting second, Anakin thought that he saw a look pass over Valor’s face - a mix of emotions ranging from disappointment to fear to, finally, a reluctant acceptance. Drawing himself to his full height, the Sith replaced the smirk on his lips, but there was no denying that a cold dread had starting to grow behind his eyes. 

“Well, then,” he murmured, standing before Anakin as he ignited his red blade. 

“Your move.” 

____________

You felt it as soon as your ship breached the fiery planet’s atmosphere. That dreaded presence that you now knew belonged to the Chancellor that had been fooling the galaxy for years. His essence was practically singing as you drew closer and closer to the facility Anakin’s ship had landed outside of, already cheering with victory. It almost made you wonder if he’d already somehow managed to ensnare Anakin in his clutches, what with how pleased with himself he seemed to be. But, no, as you landed your ship, you could still make out your friend’s presence, shining brightly as always. 

Along with Anakin, you could sense Obi-Wan, and your heart sank when you felt the bond that had formed between you two throbbing with fear and apprehension, two emotions that you’d doubted your lover could even display. And yet here he was, fearful of the only other man that you loved. 

Hopping out of your ship, you were about to sprint inside to their aid until you heard a distinct set of beeps and whistles, and you turned to see Artoo lowering himself from your friend’s vessel, starting to wheel his way towards you. 

“Artoo?” you questioned, stepping closer to the droid. “How long ago did Anakin get here?”

The droid made a series of noises, shaking back and forth as he told you, not only that Anakin had arrived ten minutes ago, but that he’d sent a message for you, saying he was sorry. You visibly paled at this, not hearing as Artoo continued to sass his owner about taking him to a planet that looked like the living incarnation of hell with temperatures so hot it was sure to frazzle his wires. Dazedly, head still spinning from Sidious’s presence, you started running towards the doors, pulling your saber into your hand and igniting it, trying to prepare yourself for whatever fight lay before you. 

________________

Sweat dripped down Valor’s face as he swung his blade down against Anakin’s rapidly, calling back on everything he’d ever been taught by both Sidious and Qui-Gon in the fight that he was now engaged in. He’d fought Anakin before, yes, but each time it had been more difficult than he’d ever let on; the boy was a skilled swordsman, and he was more powerful in the force than even the Sith still tied up in the center of the room. Skywalker just didn’t know how to wield the power that ran through him, and it was that fact that had always given Obi-Wan the confidence he needed to best him. 

This time, though, there was a factor coming into play that he hadn’t accounted for in the form of his master. Though the young Jedi couldn’t sense it, the Sith Lord was slowly, secretly feeding tendrils of his own power into Anakin’s force presence, making him stronger and strong as he dueled. A younger, more naive version of Obi-Wan might have felt betrayed by this fact, but he had long since grown used to it. He wouldn’t disillusion himself into thinking that his master felt any loyalty for him, and yet still he served the Sith, knowing that he was not yet strong enough to best Lord Sidious. 

Anakin, though, might be. That is, if he didn’t fall under his spell like Obi-Wan had all those many years ago. 

With a grunt, Anakin stabbed through the air in an arc of blue light, sending Valor just a bit off-balanced, but that tiny infraction was all he needed to shove the Sith roughly to the ground. Falling on his back with a groan, Obi-Wan kept a tight hold on his saber and slashed at the younger man’s legs, using his feet to kick himself backwards out of the Jedi’s reach.

In his scramble to get away, the Sith managed to slash a shallow cut across Anakin’s thigh, but he didn’t so much as wince at the pain of his wound. His eyes were dark, the pupils within them so blown with bloodlust that his irises were only a thin ring of blue, but Obi-Wan could swear he saw a flash of red as the Chosen One focused on the fight, on ending Darth Valor once and for all. 

For minutes they fought like that, alternating between the offensive and defensive until Obi-Wan made one mistake. One tiny, almost unnoticeable mistake. He looked up. He looked up, sensing your presence as you entered into the facility, and he allowed himself one small breath of relief as he realized that you’d gotten his message, that you’d come for him. One brief, flashing moment, but that was all Anakin needed. 

Kicking out once he saw the opportunity, Anakin swiftly landed a blow to the Sith’s shins, causing him to let out a sharp yelp of pain as he went crashing to his knees. Skywalker swiftly thrust out his hand, calling on all of his strength to wrap his presence within the force around Kenobi’s lightsaber and bring it flying to his hands, ripping the weapon away from its owner. 

With a sick feeling of pride and satisfaction, Anakin gripped the two weapons and stepped forward, standing over Obi-Wan and letting them rest on either side of his neck, as if they were a pair of scissors, poised to cut whatever lay within them with a simple flick of the wrists. 

“Good, Anakin! Good,” Palpatine chuckled, a wide smirk resting on his face as he spoke up for the first time that evening. Valor looked over to see his master lean forward, sitting on the edge of his seat in anticipation for what would come next. 

“Kill him,” the older man instructed. “Kill him now.” 

Letting out a deep sigh as he heard those words, Obi-Wan looked back up to see conflict spread across Anakin’s features. The boy opened his mouth and then closed it once more, shaking his head before speaking cautiously. 

“...I shouldn’t,” he grunted, looking at the man that rested before him. Palpatine leaned forward, about to speak once more to urge Anakin to commit this deed, but a voice from across the room cut him off. 

“Stop!”

_______________

You looked at the scene that lay before you as you ran into the room, feeling a wave of panic wash over you as Obi-Wan’s head rested in the vice between two sabers of red and blue. 

“Stop!” you screamed, causing three pairs of eyes to land on you. Surprise rested on Anakin’s features; pride and relief dwelled within Kenobi’s. But pure, unadulterated rage filled Sidious’s face as he looked you up and down. A sickly, pale yellow filled his irises, and in that second that you stood considering one another, you knew that he knew. He knew you were aware of his true identity, and it was in that moment that he resolved to kill you. 

“Anakin, he’s not who you think!” you tried to warn your friend, but an invisible hand clamped around your neck choking off any more words from rising from your throat. 

“Oh, dear,” Palpatine considered in a falsely concerned tone. “Darth Valor is choking her; kill him quickly before she dies!”

Worry and rage filled Anakin’s features, and he flicked his wrists to behead the man who he thought was killing you. But he was too late; Obi-Wan pushed himself away just in time and reclaimed his weapon, sending it soaring from Anakin’s hand to his. Thrusting his other hand forward, he sent a wave of the force towards the bound Chancellor, sending the other man falling backwards, thus breaking the hold he had on your throat. 

Gasping for breath, you teetered on your feet, almost falling over as you tried to take oxygen into your abused lungs. Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan were once more fighting each other, each with a grim look of determination cast over their faces. 

“Anakin, think,” Valor hissed, trying to return the Jedi’s attacks. “Why has he been Chancellor for so long? That strong presence you felt when you first arrived, who does it belong to?” Grunting, the Sith dodged a rapid succession of swings from Anakin’s blade, and you stepped forward to aid him. However, yet again a vice within the force was wrapped around you, this time around your ankle. With a brutal shove, your feet were ripped out from under you and you were sent crashing to the ground, letting out a scream as you felt something snap within your foot. 

“I know what you’re implying,” Anakin growled from behind clenched teeth, backing Obi-Wan up against the wall. “But I don’t believe you! You lie!” 

“No! Anakin, it’s true! Palpa-” Your scream was cut off as you were choked once again, but this time it was a physical hand that wrapped itself around your flesh, picking you up from the ground and holding you up with unnatural strength. Clutching the withered digits that were slowly squeezing the life out of you, you looked down into Sidious’s wrinkled face and tried to lean away as he leaned in close enough for you to smell his rancid breath. 

“This will be the last time you inconvenience me,” he spat. All the while, you were desperately trying to draw Anakin’s attention, to show him that his so-called “friend” was in the process of killing you, but he was too focused on fighting Obi-Wan, his back turned to you. 

“You can keep struggling against me all you want, Jedi. But I am going to kill you,” Sidious sneered, squeezing tighter. “And I’m going to get your friend to kill your lover. And then the Chosen One shall serve me.” 

Whimpering, you watched as blackness creeped along the corners of your vision, and it wasn’t long until you slumped forward, feeling your heart as it fought to beat within your chest. Looking over the evil being’s shoulder, you tried to send a thought through the force, tried to do something, anything to alert Anakin and Obi-Wan, before closing your eyes. 

Even in your weak state, though, the thought range loud and clear, repeating the vile words that had just been spoken to you. ‘You can keep struggling against me… But I am going to kill you…’ It was enough to make both of the men you love look up, eyes filling with a unified and identical panic as they watched you being killed. 

“(Y/N)!” their voices rose in a combined scream, and they forgot in that moment any quarrel between them, leaving behind the fight they’d been waging to start running to your side. 

With a strength that surprised even him, Obi-Wan separated Sidious’s hand from your neck and sent him careening against the far wall, allowing you to fall to the ground. Eyes snapping open, you greedily breathed air back into your lungs, coughing as you fought to get your heart beating at its normal pace once again. 

Anakin, though, was focused on one single thing, and it wasn’t you. Or Valor. It was the fact that the man who’d been a mentor and friend to him since the tender age of 9 had been lying to him for all these years. It was the fact that the one person he trusted more than anyone, save for Qui-Gon and you, was the darkest being in the galaxy, bent of manipulating him for his own purposes. Everything was piecing itself together in his mind, forming a clear and devastating picture of the truth. It took only a second for Anakin to realize all of this, and it took less than that for him to realize what he had to do. 

He had to kill Darth Sidious. 

With a roar that startled you and even Obi-Wan, Anakin lunged for the Chancellor and propelled his saber forward, looking into Palpatine’s eyes at the blue blade sunk through his heart. 

A look of pure shock overtook the Sith Lord’s features, and he was frozen where he stood for several seconds, looking into the face of the Chosen One as he carried out the prophecy that had shaped him into who he was. ‘A Jedi will come To destroy the Sith And bring balance to the force.’ 

And he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It isn't over yet, lovelies.... What will the reader decide to do now? Leave a comment below with your guess~!


	23. Chapter 23

In the wake of everything that had happened, all you could do was lean heavily into Obi-Wan’s chest, memorizing the sound of his beating heart and heavy breaths as you trembled in his arms. ‘It’s over now,’ your heart was telling you. ‘You’re safe; Anakin’s safe; Obi-Wan is safe. It’s all over.’ But you knew this wasn’t true. 

Looking up, your eyes met your lover’s, and after several long moments of looking over one another’s face, assuring yourself of the other’s well being, you shared a small, barely-there smile. No, it wasn’t over. But after the death of the poisonous man that had led you all astray, you could finally move on towards the path the force intended. 

You were brought out of your trance when you heard a choked sob sound from the hunched figure of your friend, and you turned your head to see him kneeling next to the form of the Sith Lord he’d just killed. His shoulders were softly shaking as the tears fell from his eyes, and your heart gave a twinge of sorrow from seeing your usually so strong friend look so broken. 

“Anakin,” you said softly, sitting up. Gently, you pulled away from Obi-Wan’s embrace and slowly stood to your feet, swaying a bit as you tried to support your own weight. 

“Anakin,” you repeated, walking over and squatting down, resting your hand on his shoulders.

“I thought he was my friend,” he whispered harshly, keeping his eyes on the ground. “He’s always been there for me, since I was a small boy. Always there to tell me that I was capable of such greatness…” 

Biting your lip, you fought off tears as you felt the despair trembling through his force signature, and you gripped his chin, turning him away from the corpse and forcing him to look at you. 

“He used you, Anakin,” you murmured, cupping his cheeks. “But that doesn’t mean he was wrong about that. I know you. I know you’ve done fantastic things, and I know you’re a good man.”

He shook his head, looking over your face with tearful blue eyes.

“But I didn’t know it was him,” he insisted. “I-I should have known! I should have sensed him!”

“Anakin, he fooled us all,” you reminded him in a soft voice, running a hand through his hair soothingly. “I only knew because Obi-Wan tipped me off. You couldn’t have sensed him when he hid himself so well.” 

At the mention of Darth Valor’s name, Anakin looked over your shoulder to see where your lover was, zeroing in on his form with a look of contempt. That look, however, was quickly replaced by one of confusion followed by surprise as he took in the way the man was looking at you. Eyes dancing between the two of you, Anakin finally spoke in an astonished tone. 

“You… You love each other, don’t you?” he asked flatly, and you didn’t even attempt to lie to him. 

“We do,” you answered, guiding him to stand up. Looking over your shoulder at Obi-Wan for a brief second, you turned back to your friend, silently praying that he’d understand you. 

“I didn’t want to tell you,” you explained. “I didn’t want you to feel betrayed or disgusted with me. But I can’t keep it a secret anymore. I… I love him, Anakin.”

“But he’s a Sith,” your friend protested, about to go on until a smooth voice interrupted you both. 

“I know that (Y/N) doesn’t need you to innumerate on all of the reasons why she shouldn’t love me,” Obi-Wan said calmly, walking forward as Anakin eyed him cautiously. “She’s well aware of them, and they’ve plagued her for quite a while. But, for what it’s worth, I love her too, Anakin. More than I’ve loved anything in this galaxy, even the force itself. I would sooner die than harm her.” 

“That’s all well and good,” your friend sighed, drawing himself to his full height as he looked the Sith up and down suspiciously. “But you’re still a Sith.”

“I can understand the suspicion that comes with that,” Valor responded diplomatically. “Truly, I do. You forget that I was once a Jedi as well. But not all Sith are like that,” he explained, inclining his head towards his deceased master. 

“The dark side of the force focuses on using your emotions, channeling them and expressing them through your connection to the force. That is not inherently bad. It’s people like Darth Sidious, who have such violent, aggressive emotions that give Sith such an evil reputation. But let me ask you this: how can the light exist if not for the dark? There is a day and a night, but they do not fight against each other. They coexist peacefully. Such is how the force is meant to work.”

“But you’ve fought me before,” Anakin argued. “You almost killed Qui-Gon, and you kidnapped (Y/N).” 

“I was obeying my master because he would have killed me otherwise and eventually replace me, most likely with an apprentice more chaotic and cruel than I,” Obi-Wan responded. “I won’t try and say that all of my actions are justifiable, but it would have been foolhardy to challenge my master’s orders until I grew strong enough to win the fight that would consequently result.” 

“I still don’t-”

“Anakin,” you interrupted, grabbing your friend’s hand. “I understand why you’re worried about him, and I appreciate that you care enough about me to worry. But I know what I’m doing. Do you really think I could fall in love with someone truly evil?” 

Pausing for a long moment, your friend looked over your face, clearly lost in thought as he contemplated your words. 

“...No,” he finally decided, glancing between you two. “No, I don’t.” 

You nodded, and after that the three of you fell into a contemplative, long silence, still considering everything that had happened and the implications thereof. However, after a few minutes, Anakin was able to sum up what all of you had been thinking in three simple words. 

“What happens now?” he asked, looking out at the flames outside the window. 

“I can’t go back to the temple,” you considered, thinking back to your confrontation with Mace Windu. “There’s nothing for me there anymore.” You saw a hopeful gleam in Obi-Wan’s eyes as disappointment filled Anakin’s. 

“I… I know,” your friend murmured, running a hand through his hair as he let out a deep sigh. “I knew, when we talked this morning, that you wouldn’t stay for much longer. I, um… I’ve been thinking of leaving, too.” 

“What?” you questioned, surprised. “Why? I never would have thought.”

“Well… I’ve fulfilled the prophecy,” he remarked sadly, sweeping a hand towards Sidious’s remains. “I’ve fulfilled my usefulness to the council, and-”

“Anakin, you’re a great asset to the Order,” you interrupted in his defence. “The council values-”

“And Padme’s pregnant.”

The air was knocked out of your lungs, sending you into a stupefied, amazed silence as you looked over your little brother. The man who you’d looked after all your life was going to be looking after little ones of his own? It was a baffling, shocking thought, but after a few seconds of accepting what he’d said, a smile spread its way across your features. 

“I’m going to be an aunt?” you whispered, eliciting the first smile you’d seen from Anakin since arriving on Mustafar. 

“Well, she has yet to get the test results back, but I have a feeling they’re going to be positive,” he explained. “I’ve always known that, one day, I’d leave the Order to be with her. And now that we’re expecting, and there’s no more “Chosen One” stigma to live up to, I figure… Now is the time for me.”

You nodded in agreement, reaching for Anakin’s hand and squeezing it. 

“You’re going to be a good father, Anakin. And you know that I’ll be there for you any time you want or need my help.”

Looking down at you with a soft smile, your best friend nodded. 

“I think you’ve proven that today more than ever, (Y/N),” he murmured, fresh tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “I… I still need time, I think. To deal with all of…” He waved a hand around, indicating the whole situation you’d all found yourselves in. “But you’re still my big sister. And I’ll always love you.”

It was your turn to cry now, and you pulled Anakin into a hug, staining the front of his tunic with your tears as a weight was simultaneously dropped and put onto your shoulders. At least you wouldn’t have to worry about leaving Anakin behind at the temple. But Ahsoka…

“Ahsoka will be fine,” Anakin said, most likely sensing your thoughts. “I was never the master she needed anyways. I have a feeling Plo Koon would gladly accept the rest of her training. She’ll be taken care of, and she’ll understand.”

“Thank you,” you said softly, stepping away from your friend and towards Obi-Wan. “We’ll be ok, right? We’ll still see each other?”

“Of course. You can’t get rid of me that easily, (Y/N). You know that,” Anakin teased gently. Nodding your head, you smiled and memorized his face in that moment, quietly smiling in the glow of Mustafar, before turning towards the man you’d somehow fallen in love with somewhere along the way. From behind you, Anakin’s quiet footsteps could be heard, heading out towards his ship as he left you two alone. 

“Well, then,” you sighed, looking into Valor’s golden eyes.

“Well then, indeed,” he considered. You both looked at each other for a long moment before simultaneously leaning forward, capturing the other’s lips in a kiss full of tender reassurances and an almost crippling thankfulness that you were together, that everything had turned out alright. 

Pulling away by just a hair’s width, you watched as his eyes took yours in, feeling somewhere in the back of your head the sensation of him opening your bond fully. An influx of emotions tangled with yours, filling your mind with his thoughts, his feelings, the greatest of which being love for you. Closing your eyes, you set your forehead against his, feeling something bloom in your chest, something you hadn’t felt in such a long time. 

Finally, finally, you knew what you wanted to do. 

"Obi-Wan?"

“Yes, sweet one?”

“...Take me home.” 

____________________

Your cave looked almost exactly the same as how you remembered it. There was a chair and a table tipped over from the fight from the last time you were there, but Obi-Wan was quick to right them, setting them back in place as you wandered around the sitting room. Thankfully, Master Windu’s arm wasn’t there. You didn’t know who’d moved it and when it had been taken away, but you were still glad that the place you’d come to think of as home didn’t have any severed limbs lying about. 

“Welcome back,” your lover smiled, walking closer and hugging you from behind. A soft smile made its way to your lips, and you let your head fall back onto his shoulder. 

“It’s good to be here,” you whispered, closing your eyes. From behind you, Obi-Wan started to sway a bit, back and forth, left and right at a slow pace. Chuckling a little under your breath, you allowed yourself to sway with him, letting him rock you in place. 

“I missed you,” you admitted, still keeping your eyes closed. “I know it was only a few days, but I still missed being with you.”

“And I missed you as well,” he replied, dipping his head down to press a closed-mouth kiss to the side of your neck. “That cell was horrendous.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, but Obi-Wan just shrugged. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” he assured you, standing still once more and turning you around by your shoulders. A contemplative look descended over his features, and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“What is it?” you asked, and Obi-Wan shook his head, as if clearing them from his thoughts. 

“I was just thinking,” he assured you, looking down into your eyes. “Of everything that’s happened and changed since I’ve met you, and of what the future holds.” 

“What do you think it holds?” 

Hesitating for a moment, Obi-Wan began to speak slowly, testing out the words as he said them. 

“I’m left in the quite unexpected position of being the only Sith in existence,” he murmured. “I’m a Sith Lord now, and I have the power to finally shape the future of the Sith as I’ve always longed for it to be.” 

“How do you want it to be?” you asked, and you watched as his features filled with a passion, a fierce determination and belief in what he was saying. 

“I’m tired of the petty feud between Sith and Jedi. I meant what I said to Anakin; I don’t believe that we must fight just because we are different. I wish to simply coexist with them, focussing, not on fighting, but on learning and using the dark side of the force and all it’s powerful beauty. 

However… I cannot redefine the Sith without an apprentice,” he said solemnly, staring at you with an almost questioning look. “Someone to learn with me and create a new order alongside. You...wouldn’t happen to know of anyone who might be willing to do that, would you?” 

Looking into the molden irises of the man you loved, you were struck by what he’d just asked you. All his life, he’d been rejected and pushed to the side by the ones who he should have been able to trust. And now he still somehow had the courage to ask you to be his, to share in the new life he was sculpting for himself. The power to break his heart was placed into your hands by him, and it was then that you made up your mind, for once not sensing a trace of unsurety within yourself. 

Letting a smile come to your lips, you leaned up and kissed him, cupping his face in your hands and rubbing your thumbs over his cheekbones.

“Well,” you murmured, pulling away by just a fraction of an inch. “That depends.” 

“On what?” 

“Would this apprentice be allowed to kiss you? Love you?” 

Grinning, Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle, and you let out a yelp of surprise when you felt him pick you up bridal-style. 

“Are you electing yourself for the position, then?” he asked, hope and joy written across his features. You couldn’t help but feel your chest give a small spasm of delight when you saw the most beautiful smile you’d ever seen light up his face. 

“I am,” you declared, wrapping your arms around his neck. “If you’d have me.” 

“Sweet one, there is nothing else in this galaxy that I’d want more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep your eyes open for an epilogue!


	24. Epilogue

You were getting used to waking up with his head resting on your chest. This morning, it was no different, and you smiled tiredly before running your fingers through his hair, twirling a strand of his bangs around on your finger. 

“Mmmm,” he sighed, pressing a lazy kiss to your sternum. “Good morning, my love.” His voice was always deeper when he was first waking up, gravelly and croaking. You loved it. 

“Good morning,” you whispered back, lifting your head off of the pillow to look down at him. Tracing your fingers down his face, through his beard, your eyes met his, and the gold that was there waiting for you still managed to take your breath away. 

“How did you sleep?” he asked, propping up on an elbow to look down at you. Shrugging, you traced your other hand down the side of his neck, through his reddish-blonde chest hair and back up to his shoulder. 

“Peacefully, as always,” you answered, shifting your hips and wincing a bit at the sting you felt at the action. “A little sore, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” 

“Was I too rough last night?” he murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your neck. 

“No,” you said too quickly, causing him to laugh. Grinning sheepishly, you shook your head. “No, last night was… Perfect. Extremely so.” 

“Extremely perfect, hm?” Laughing, you shoved his shoulder playfully. 

“I liked it a lot, ok?” 

“Well. We’ll have to do it again,” he suggested. 

“Definitely,” you affirmed. 

For a long moment, the two of sat there in quiet peace, feeling each other’s breath and sharing an occasional kiss. 

“I should start on breakfast,” he stated, and you let out a fake groan. 

“Please don’t. Can’t we just have cereal? Or Poptarts? Or something edible?” 

“You wound me!” he chuckled, standing up. “My cooking is getting better.” 

“I’m surprised you haven’t set the kitchen on fire.” 

Shaking his head, your lover pulled on a pair of boxers and his robe, his hair sticking up at odd angles from how you’d pulled on it last night. 

“I’m going to make you an omelette and you’re going to like it,” he said, pointing a finger at you. 

“Sure, darling,” you deadpanned, standing up too. Pulling on one of his spare robes, you walked past him and headed towards the kettle on the stove, knowing he liked a cup of tea every morning. 

For the next few minutes, you waited for the water to boil as Obi-Wan attempted to make some spinach and feta omelettes, following a recipe on his data pad with eyebrows furrowed in concentration. You couldn’t help but smile at how cute he looked in that moment, how domestic. The fearsome Sith Lord, puzzling over how to cook eggs for you. 

“You know, I think I should have put some butter in the pan before pouring the eggs in,” he muttered, staring at the mixture and trying to pry it off the bottom of the pan with a spatula. 

“Is that pan non-stick?” 

“...I truly don’t know.” 

Laughing, you took the pan from him and set it into the sink, nose scrunching up at the burnt smell coming off of it. 

“So what kind of cereal would you like?” you asked. 

“...The blueberry kind,” he sighed, bowing his head in defeat. Pecking his cheek, you started pouring two bowls of it, watching him sip tea out of the corner of your eye. 

After breakfast, the two of you clambered into the shower, talking about what you would be doing that day. You were coming along in your studies quickly, learning dark side techniques and different ways to become more attuned with the Force. Despite the fact that Obi-Wan was your master, he was still learning a lot as well, using every free moment he had to read the ancient Sith manuscripts the two of you had gone on a mission to retrieve together. 

“I’m supposed to call Anakin today,” you said as you got out of the shower. 

“Ah. How is Padme doing?” 

“She’s coming along well,” you answered, running a comb through your damp hair as he turned the shower off and stepped out. “It’s been...what, seven months since Mustafar?” 

“Almost eight.” 

“She’s in the last stages of her pregnancy,” you smiled, looking at your lover in the mirror. “I’ll be an aunt soon.” 

“You’ll want to visit the twins when they’re here, won’t you?” he asked, and you nodded, turning to look him in the eye. 

“That’s what I was going to talk to Anakin about, actually, you said, speaking cautiously. Obi-Wan’s negative feelings towards your friend had faded considerably since his fight with him those months ago, but he hadn’t been in his presence for a while. You’d taken a trip by yourself to Coruscant about four months back, after Anakin announced his formal retirement from the Jedi Order, and it seemed that he was growing used to the idea of your lover as well. You were just nervous about the question you were going to ask both of them. 

“I’m going to ask him if you can come with me for a visit,” you stated. “I… I know that the two of you are never going to be best friends, but… I feel bad leaving you to go see him.” 

With a soft expression, Obi-Wan stood beside you, grabbing a comb for his hair. 

“That’s very sweet of you, my dear, but I have a feeling he wouldn’t want me near his children.” 

“But Padme has been talking to him about it,” you countered. “She remembers you from the mission you went on to Naboo those years ago. You saved her.” 

“Yes, but that was back when I was a Jedi padawan.” 

“She believes that you’re a good man,” you insisted. “Even if you’re not a Jedi, even if you’re a Sith. She was very impressed with you back then, and she sees how happy you’re making me now.” 

Slicking his hair back, your lover’s face looked the way it did when he was thinking deeply about something, and you mentally urged him to consider what you were saying. Briefly, amusement flashed through his gaze, and you felt one of his fingers poke you in the hip. 

“No using our force bond to try and sway my opinion,” he said in a mock-serious tone. 

“I can’t help it!” you defended, letting a grin come to your face. “I’m still getting used to having one.” 

“Well. You’d better do so quickly, because we’ll need it if we’re going to Coruscant together.” 

Gasping, you stood up on your tiptoes and threw your arms around his neck, knowing that meant that, yes, he would go with you. Now all you had to do was convince Anakin, but you had a feeling that, between you and Padme, he wouldn’t be able to say no. 

“I love you,” you whispered, nuzzling into his neck. “Thank you.” 

“No worries, my love. I know you’ll be able to make it up to me somehow,” he added in a teasing tone. Letting out a laugh, you pulled back and looked up at your Sith as he stood there, naked with wet hair and a small, warm smile on his face. 

You’d gone from a war-weary Jedi to a Sith apprentice, happy and in love and luckier than you ever would have thought possible. A wave of love swept through you, and you claimed his lips in a gentle kiss that lasted for a long moment. 

“Sweet one,” he murmured, cupping your face gently as you pulled away for breath. “I love you.” 

“I know.” Grinning, you stepped back and turned around, heading towards your bedroom to dress and then, later, to train. 

You weren’t a true Sith yet, just an apprentice, but you were content with the way things were. You’d struggled against yourself for so long, but finally you’d found your way, and the force had gifted you with love and life and purpose. And Obi-Wan. 

You’d always have Obi-Wan, and therefore, you’d always be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many of you to thank! First of all, there are my friends Molly, Brittany, and Chiara for all of their support and kind words. Then the rest of you, my dearest readers! I cherish every comment left here, every kudos, every set of eyes that have read this story! It's been a part of me for so long. 
> 
> Be on the lookout for more additions to the Struggling Against Me series. While the main story is over, I'm planning on a few drabbles set before, during, and after S.A.M., so there's still plenty of Valor in store for you lovelies! 
> 
> Till then, though, I love every single one of you, and I'll be seeing you soon! Again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what y'all think! If you like imagines, check out my tumblr! I have some more Darth Valor stuff posted there. I'm nickywritesimagines.


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